Maha Shivratri 2021 Celebration: Why & How Is Shivratri Celebrated & Belief Stories

In Hinduism, Maha Shivratri is one of the significant festivals celebrated to worship Lord Shiva. Maha Shivratri is also known by the name of 'The Great Night of Shiva' and 'Padmarajarathri'. During the entire day, the devotees perform fast and worship Lord Shankar with a lot of devotion and enthusiasm in order to please and delight the Almighty. It is being believed that if one is able to satisfy the Almighty then any individual can achieve salvation and all the past sins will be forgiven. The day is also observed to defeat all kinds of darkness and ignorance from the entire world.

Maha Shivratri 2021 will be observed on March 11. Usually, this festival is being celebrated on the fourteenth day of every month, a day prior to the new moon. Maha Shivratri is observed in February or March month as per the planetary position.

Shivratri & Maha Shivratri Celebration:

The term 'Shivratri' is created by the combined words of two i.e. Shiv and Ratri. Shiv implies 'Lord Shiva' and Ratri denotes night. Together the word Shivratri means the night of Lord Shiva.

Every month, on the fourteenth day, Shivratri is being observed on a single day prior to the new moon. Per year there are twelve Shivratri observed and the Mahashivratri is the primary one that falls during February or March as per the planetary position.

How is Shivratri Celebrated?

Maha Shivratri is being celebrated with a lot of devotion and enthusiasm across the country. Devotees of Lord Shiva perform various spiritual rituals and even maintain strict fasting the entire day. They take bath early morning before sunrise and wear new washed clothes. Lakhs of people line up near Shiva temples to worship and perform Jalabhishek to the Shivaling with water, milk, honey, yogurt, ghee, and sugar. They also offer trifoliate Bilwa leaf (belpatra), Abir, gulal, flowers on top of the Shivaling with intense devotion.

They do aarti's with incense sticks, diyas and offer sweets, white cloth, and fruits. All the rituals keep on going throughout the entire day and also the night. Some devotees also adorn themselves as the Shiva and perform tandav dance with hailing and praising Lord Shiva or Mahadev by 'Har Har Mahadev'. During the evening time, devotees pay their visit to the Shiv temple to take part in the Maha Shiv Aarti. They do not sleep and stay awake the entire night in the temple, continuously chants 'Om Namah Shivaya' praising lord shiva. On the next day morning, they eventually eat something by having bhogs and prasads. All the women who are newlyweds keep fasting on this day for the welfare of their family while unmarried women do fasting in order to seek blessing from Lord Shiva regarding their future life.

Why Maha Shivratri is Celebrated?

This festival is quite significant for the devotees who follow spirituality. Maha Shivratri holds significance for the people who are surrounds by family situations and also for those who are ambitious to the world. Some believe this day is the night of stillness because it is believed that after Lord Shiva meditated for millions of years, he turned to still and he absolutely became motionless. 

On this day, it is also believed that the first guru or the adiyogi awaken this consciousness.

Maha Shivratri Beliefs Stories

In Hindu Mythology, there exist several beliefs and stories on the purpose of celebrating Maha Shivratri.

• There is a belief that this was the day when God Shankar got married to Goddess Parvati when Sati got a second life as Parvati after her death.
  
• There is a belief that the Almighty performs 'Shiv Tandav' which is his dance of creation, destruction and preservation on this night.
• While others believed that on this day devotees pay their gratitude and thanks to the Almighty as he took all the poison that has emerged from the ocean during
• Samudra Manthan. And this is the reason why this throat turned blue and from that incident, he got the name of 'Neelkantha'.

Also read: Daughter of Auto-Rickshaw Driver Becomes Femina Miss India 2020 Runner-Up

Also watch: Tussle Over the Post of Principal, Moran College