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The
festival of 'Mahashivratri' is celebrated as a mark
of respect towards Lord Shiva each year.
THE
festival of Mahashivratri, which literally
means the night of Lord Shiva, is universally celebrated
by Hindus each year. Lord Shiva forms a part of the
Hindu holy Trimurti (trinity of Gods), wherein
Brahma is the creator, Vishnu the sustainer and Shiva
is the destroyer.
On
this day, people from various parts of the country
gather at temples of Lord Shiva and sing bhajans
(holy songs), offer prayers and recite shlokas
in the honor of Lord Shiva.
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Mahashivratri
is celebrated on the thrathshi or the thirteenth
day of the waning moon in the month of Phagun, which is
some time in February or March according to the English
calendar (14-15 days before Holi, the Hindu festival of
color).
| Legends
behind the festival:
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There
are several stories about the origins of this festival.
| Dance
of creation and destruction:
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A
common belief is that on this night, Lord Shiva is said
to have performed the Tandava Nritya or the dance
of primordial creation, preservation and destruction. Lord
Shiva is said to have been an excellent dancer. In fact,
even today some of the Indian classical dancers pray to
the Lord, before they begin their performance.
| Love,
Compassion and Mercy:
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One
of the most popular stories behind the origins of this festival
is about a hunter who had gone to the forest to hunt for
his family. Just around dusk, after an unsuccessful and
tiring day in the jungle, he noticed a pair of deer. And
just when he was about to kill them, one of the deer spoke
to him and begged for mercy. It said that they had been
searching for food throughout the day to feed their young
ones. They promised that after they gave the food to their
young ones, they would return back to the hunter.
The
hunter took mercy and agreed to wait for them. As it was
nearing nightfall, fearing predators, the hunter climbed
a tree nearby. In order to keep awake all night, he started
plucking leaves from the tree and kept throwing them onto
the ground. But he didn't realize that underneath the tree
was a Shivlingam (the phallic iconic representation of Shiva),
on which the leaves were falling. In fact, the Shivlingam
is the center of reverence and worship in all Shaivite (Shiva
temples.)
The
next day, just when the hunter was about to return home
feeling cheated, the deer appeared with their offspring.
They apologized for being late, and told the hunter that
he could kill all of them, as after the death of the parents,
the young ones would not be able to feed or protect themselves
from other predators. Hearing this, the hunter took mercy
on the deer family, and he let them go.
Unknowingly,
the hunter had offered his prayers to Lord Shiva by not
only showering Him with leaves (while praying Hindus always
offer flowers and leaves to the idol of the Gods), but also
fasting for a day and letting the deer family go. By offering
his prayers to Lord Shiva the hunter had gained the virtues
of Lord Shiva of mercy, compassion and love. Thus, it is
said that fasting and offering prayers to Lord Shiva on
the Mahashivratri day brings an individual closer to the
Lord.
| Worshipping
the all powerful Lord in the night:
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Another
story traces the origin of the festival to the fact that
Lord Shiva saved the entire human race and the universe
from destruction by swallowing poison. It is believed that
the Gods and the demons were churning the Ocean (Sagarmanthan)
to obtain amrit (nectar) to stay immortal. In the
process they came across many unusual substances, including
the deadly poison. As soon as they touched the poison, it
exploded into poisonous fumes that threatened to destroy
the entire universe. When the destruction of the universe
seemed inevitable, the Gods ran for assistance to Brahma
and Vishnu, but neither was able to help. At last they ran
to Lord Shiva, who swallowed the poison without spilling
a single drop. That also explains why Lord Shiva's throat
is blue in colour for which he is also called Neel Kanth
(the one who has a blue throat) or Vishaapaharana Murthy.
Thus
the festival is celebrated in honor of the Lord.
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