Maha Shivratri in Mauritius, India and a couple of other countries

Every year, on Maha Shivratri, not only does the Ganga Talao come to life with vibrant processions and activities but also the whole of Mauritius, irrespective of individual faiths, seems to participating in this festival.

Mauritius adopts the colorless color of Shiva, with all pilgrims dressed in white, which can be  combined with any other color without undergoing any change in identity. That is Shiva. His message is: “Come to me the way you are.”

This is the reason why Maha Shivratri is so popular, loved and celebrated by devotees around the world. So today, I bring to you the most famous Indian festival, Maha Shivratri, its celebration in India and some other countries where we have the Indian Diaspora.

On any normal day, the whole of Mauritius converges towards Port Louis but during the Maha Shivratri celebrations, everybody takes a U turn and starts moving towards Ganga Talao. From the economic capital towards the spiritual capital. It is believed that staying awake on Maha Shivratri (the great night of Shiva) makes a difference in an individual’s perception of the world and in the energy of the human body.

It is declared a public holiday in India, Mauritius and Nepal. The 12 ‘jyotirlingams’ (the Radiant Sign of the Almighty Shiva) in India host a big celebration on this day, similar to that done at Ganga Talao in Mauritius, but there are a few other destinations as well that will prove quite exciting and fruitful during Maha Shivratri. Before going toward those destinations, let me narrate a couple of stories behind the celebration of Maha Shivratri.

Stories

There are three stories related to Maha Shivratri celebration. First and foremost, it is the wedding anniversary of Mahadev Shiva and Maa Parvati. The second is that on this day, Shiva appeared in the shape of a ‘Shiva lingam’ (A symbol of the energy and potential of Shiva).

The third and perhaps most popular story associated with Maha Shivratri is that on this day, Shiva accepted to swallow the poison which came out of churning of sea to save the world. Instead of drinking it, Shiva stopped that poison in his throat resulting into blue colour, which is why he is also referred to as ‘Neelkanth’, the one with the blue throat.

Maha Shivratri in Kashi

What a better place other than Kashi, the abode of Shiva, to celebrate Maha Shivratri! Officially known as Varanasi and also known as Banaras, Kashi is the place where you can always feel presence of Shiva. During Maha Shivratri, several temples organize a wedding procession of Shiva, where a lot of people play the role of different Gods and Goddesses.

A parade starts from Tilbhandeshwar temple, the most famous one. The procession lasts roughly about five hours and it is celebrated with loud music in the background and people dancing during the procession. After those five hours are over, everyone returns to the temple, offers prayers and performs rituals.

In Haridwar

The land of ‘Yogis’, Haridwar is another divine place for Mahashivaratri and it is famous for its temples and ‘ghats’ (river banks). The most important ritual there during Maha Shivratri is taking a holy dip in the Ganges (river Ganga) and offering the river water to the ‘Shiv lingam’ in a nearby Shiva temple with a person’s clothes still wet. A lot of pilgrims gather to Haridwar to take a dip in the ‘Har Ki Pauri’ during Maha Shivratri.

In Mandi

The Temple of Bhootnath at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh is said to host the biggest Maha Shivratri celebration in India. The royal family of Mandi started the tradition some 500 years ago and now a week-long International Mandi Maha Shivratri Fair is held there every year and it attracts a lot of tourists from all over the country and even from abroad.

It transforms the town as devotees pour in. A ‘Shobha Yatra’ (holy procession) takes place on Maha Shivratri, which is led by the Governor of the State and the Chief Minister inaugurates the function to mark the festivities of this great day. It is believed that all Gods and Goddesses assemble there on the day of Maha Shivaratri to celebrate this festival.

In Srikalahasti

The festival of Maha Shivratri is observed with extreme enthusiasm in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Devotees gather at the Sri Kalahasti Temple near Tirupati and the Malikarjuna Swamy Temple at Srisailam.

In Umananda Temple, Assam

In the North Eastern state of Assam, the hub of Shivratri celebrations is at the Umananda Temple, situated on the Peacock Island in the middle of Brahmaputra River in Guwahati, the capital of Assam. Thousands of Shiva devotees from all over the country pay a visit to the temple on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri.

In Khajuraho

The Maha Shivaratri has served as a historic confluence of artists for annual dance festivals at Khajuraho, Madya Pradesh. This event is called Natyanjali, literally "worship through dance." Here Shiva is worshiped in the shape of “Nataraj-the Lord of dance.”

In Lokanath Temple, Puri

Shivaratri celebration at Lokanath Temple, Puri, is also quite popular. According to a legend popular in Orissa, long ago, Puri was a centre of Shiva worship. The story goes along these lines: Lord Ram himself installed the Lingam in the Lokanath Temple.

The Shiva lingam is situated in the inner chamber of the temple.  The sanctum that preserves the lingam is immersed in the natural fountain of water throughout the year. It is only on the occasion of Maha Shivratri that all the water is drained out and the lingam becomes visible.

Devotees in great numbers gather on this day to see the magnificence of this phenomenon and offer prayers and offerings.

In Gujarat

In Gujarat, the Maha Shivratri fair is held at Junagadh, where bathing in the Damodar Kund (holy water pool) is considered auspicious. According to some religious beliefs, Lord Shiva himself comes to bath in the Damodar Kunda on Maha Shivratri.

In Nepal

Maha Shivaratri is a National Holiday in Nepal and celebrated widely in temples all over the country, but especially in the Pashupatinath temple. Thousands of devotees visit the famous Shiva Shakti Peetham nearby as well.

The Nepalese army parades around the city of Kathmandu to pay tribute to Lord Shiva, and holy rituals are performed all over the nation. Artists from various classical music and dance forms perform throughout the night.

In Bangladesh

In Chandranath Dham at Chittagong, the Hindu population of the country gathers to offer prayers to Lord Shiva, on the night of Maha Shivratri. Chandranath Dham is a famous ‘Shakti Peeth’ (spiritually rich and energetic place). Here Shiva is worshiped in form of Lord Chandrashekhar.

By Savita Tiwari