Maha Shivaratri

Nishita Kaal Puja Time = 24:09+ to 25:00+ Duration = 0 Hours 50 Mins ( Nishita Kala is the ideal time to observe Shiva Pooja. On this day, in all Shiva's temples, the most auspicious Lingodbhava puja is performed.) Next Day Maha Shivaratri Parana Time = 06:54 to 15:26
Ratri Ratri Ratri Ratri First Prahar Puja Time = 18:15 to 21:25 Second Prahar Puja Time = 21:25 to 24:35+ Third Prahar Puja Time = 24:35+ to 27:44+ Fourth Prahar Puja Time = 27:44+ to 30:54+

Maha Shivratri- the night of the worship of Shiva - also known as literally translates to great night of Shiva . Chaturdashi Tithi (on the 13th night/14th day ) during Krishna Paksha in month of Magha is known as Maha Shivaratri according to South Indian calendar. However according to North Indian calendar Masik Shivaratri in month of Phalguna is known as Maha Shivaratri. In both calendars it is naming convention of lunar month which differs. However both, North Indians and South Indians, celebrate Maha Shivaratri on same day. According to Hindu mythology, Mahashivratri is Lord Shiva's favourite day. Devotees on this day remain on fast or perform hour long spiritual meditation by following rituals to commemorate Mahashivratri and be blessed with grace. In the early morning, they visit temples to offer cold water, milk and bael leaves on the Lingam, a symbol for the worship of Lord Shiva, after properly cleaning it. Shiva -MahaDeva : Mount Kailas in the Himalayas is the abode of Shiva. The Ganges came down from the heavens because Shiva bore on the matted locks of his head the forceful impact of her falling torrents. He creates and destroys, he sustains the world, he at times obscures by his power of illusion (maya), or offers grace to the suffering world. These are the fivefold activities of Siva, symbolised by the five faces of the god (Pancanana). He sees the past, the present and the future by means of his three eyes (Trilocana). To save the earth, he drank the poison and his throat became dark-blue (Nilakantha). A moons crescent round or above his central eye (Candrasekhara), clad like an ascetic with a tiger-skin, he holds a trident (Pinaka) in his hand; he rides the bull Nandi. Some of his images represent him as a fourarmed person-age, two of the hands holding a battle-axe (khadga) and a deer, the two other hands in poses signifying assurance of safety and liberality; in some other representations, he carries a bow, a thunderbolt, an axe, a skull-capped staff, a drum. Shivas family is composed of his wife Uma (Sakti) and their two sons Ganesh and Kartikeya (Subrahmanya). Their respective mounts are the bull, the lion, the mouse and the peacock.

Puranas contain many stories and Legends associated with Maha Shivratri: According to one, during the samudra manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. This terrified the Gods and demons as the poison was capable of destroying the entire world, and they ran to Shiva for help. To protect the world from its evil effects, Shiva drank the deathly poison but held it

in his throat instead of swallowing it. This made his throat turn blue, and he was given the name Neelakantha, the bluethroated one. Shivaratri is the celebration of this event by which Shiva saved the world. Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#8kgKY3 gWWZbXvk1B.99 According to another legend in the Shiva Purana, once the other two of the triads of Hindu Gods, Brahma and Vishnu, were fighting over who was the superior of the two. Horrified at the intensity of the battle, the other gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realize the futility of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of a huge column of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu. Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one end each to establish supremacy over the other. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upwards and Vishnu as Varaha went into the earth. But light has no limit and though they searched for thousands of miles, neither could find the end. On his journey upwards, Brahma came across a Ketaki flower wafting down slowly. When asked where she had come from, the Ketaki replied that she had been placed at the top of the fiery column as an offering. Unable to find the uppermost limit, Brahma decided to end his search and take the flower as a witness. At this, the angry Shiva revealed his true form. He punished Brahma for telling a lie, and cursed him that no one would ever pray to him. The Ketaki flower too was banned from being used as an offering for any worship, as she had testified falsely. Since it was on the 14th day in the dark half of the

month of Phalguna that Shiva first manifested himself in the form of a Linga, the day is especially auspicious and is celebrated as Mahashivaratri. Worshipping Shiva on this day is believed to bestow one with happiness and prosperity. A legend explains the all-night worship of Shiva on Shivratri. There was once a poor tribal man who was great devotee of Shiva. One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting allnight worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After observing the allnight fast, devotees eat the Prasad offered to Shiva. hara gouri There is another possible reason for the origin of the all-night worship. Being a moonless night, people worshipped the god who wears the crescent moon as an adornment in his hair, Shiva. This was probably to ensure that the moon rose the next night.

lingo Immediately after Mahashivaratri, almost like a miracle, the trees are full of flowers as if to announce that after winter, the fertility of the earth has been rejuvenated. And this perhaps is the reason why the Linga is worshipped throughout India as a symbol of fertility. The festivities differ in various parts of India. In southern Karnataka, for example, children are allowed to get into all kinds of mischief and asking for punishment is the rule of the day, probably originating from the mythological incident of Shiva punishing Brahma for lying. TheVishvanatha Temple at Kashi inVaranasi celebrates the Linga (symbolic of the pillar of light) and the manifestation of Shiva as the light of supreme wisdom. Mahashivaratri is thus not only a ritual but also a cosmic definition of the Hindu universe. It dispels ignorance, emanates the light of knowledge, makes one aware of the universe, ushers in the spring after the cold and dry winter, and invokes the supreme power to take cognizance of the beings that were created by him Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/shivratri/origin.htm#8kgKY3 gWWZbXvk1B.99
1. On the day of Maha Shivratri at midnight, Lord Shiva revealed his Lingam form. Thus devotees perform the Rudra Abhishekham at midnight of Mahashivratri to worship the formless Sadashiv.

2. Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati got married on the day of Maha Shivratri. Thus from 'Nirgun Brahman' He became "Sagun Brahman" due to Maya power of Parvati.

3. Lord Shiva drank the poison Halahal that emerged during the churning of Kshir Sagar or the milky ocean and saved the world from humanity on this day. Due to the poison the Lord's throat turned as He came to be known as 'Neelkantha'.

4. Lord Shiva had revealed to Maa Parvati that the 14th night of the Krishna Paksha is His favorite night and that devotees who worship Him on thus night will surely receive His blessings

5. Also on the night of Mahashivratri Lord Shiva is said to have revealed the Tandava, the dance of primordial conception, preservation, sustenance and destruction

Rituals to worship Lord Shiva on Maha Shivratri as per the Shiva Purana:
Bathing of the Shiva Lingam with water, milk, honey and bel patra this symbolizes purification of soul

Vermilion paste is applied on the Lingam this symbolizes virtue

Fruits are offered, which is helpful in longevity and gratification of desires

Incense are lighted, which symbolizes yielding of wealth

Oil lamps are lit, which symbolizes knowledge

Betel leaves are offered which represents satisfaction with worldly pleasures On the day of Maha Shivratri, Shiva Abhishekam is done with Sugarcane Juice (for Laxmi), Honey (for Wealth), Milk (for child), Water (for removal of miseries), Ghee (for progeny), Mustard (for protection against enemies) and with Gangajal (for Moksha). Dhatura fruit and flower are also offered to Lord Shiva and even though they are poisonous, they are believed to be a favorite of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is worshipped in Lingam form throughout the night; the Lingam is bathed every three hours with the 5 sacred offerings from a cow, called the 'Panchagavya'. The Panchagavya contains milk, sour milk, urine, butter and dung. Milk, Clarified Butter, Curd, Honey and Sugar are also placed before the Lingam. On Maha Shivaratri Lord Shiva is worshipped either one time or four times during the night. The whole night duration is divided into four segments (Prahars) and Maha Shivaratri Puja of Lord Shiva is performed during each of the four Prahars. Lord Shiva is Supreme, He is Mahayogi, He is Chandrashekhar, He is originator of the Ganga, He is the one and only Aghora who understands the Tantra of this cosmos, He is Mahadeva, He is Bholenath, He is Rudra. Devotees worship Lord Shiva with

dedication and devotion on the day of Maha Shivaratri to seek His blessings, so that they can live a fulfilling life and ultimately attain Moksha.

Benefits of worshipping Lord Shiva on Mahashivaratri

The act of ablution of Lord Shiva purifies the worshipper's soul. Offering of Naivaidya helps the devotee to attain a satisfactory life. Lighting a lamp, blessed the worshipper with knowledge. Offering of Tambul fulfils your wishes. Offering of Darbha (a kind of grass) will drive away all types of diseases. If honey, ghee and sugarcane are offered to Lord Shiva, one can attain wealth. By bathing Lord Shiva with the holy water will help in attaining salvation. Wearing a rosary made from the Rudraksha when worshipping Lord Shiva is ideal as it is His favorite.

Mantra for Mahashivaratri

The best mantra is Maha Mrityunjay Mantra from the Sukla Yajurveda Samhita III. 60. || Om Trayambakam Yajaamahe Suganghim Pushtivardhanam Urvaarukmiva Bandhanaan Mrityor Mokshiya Mamritaat || [The meaning of the Mantra is as follows:] I worship thee, O sweet Lord of transcendental vision (the three -eyed one or Lord Siva). O giver of health and prosperity to all, may I be free from the bonds of death, just as a melon (or cucumber) is severed effortlessly from its bondage or attachment to the creeper.
Pasted from <http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/mahashivaratri.html>

Why We celebrate MahaShivratri : according to Vedic Literatures - According to the Puranas, during the great mythical churning of the ocean called Samudra Manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. The gods and the demons were terrified as it could destroy the entire world. When they ran to Shiva for help, he in order to protect the world, drank the deadly poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This turned his throat blue, and since then he came to be known as 'Nilkantha', the blue-throated one. Shivratri celebrates this event by which Shiva saved the world. According to a popular legend, when a hunter could not find anything to kill for his food in a forest, he waited on the branch of a Woodapple tree. In order to attract deer, he started throwing the leaves of the tree on the ground, unaware that there was a Shiva Lingam beneath the tree. Pleased with the Woodapple leaves and the patience of the hunter, it is believed that Lord Shiva appeared in front of the hunter and blessed him with wisdom. From that day onwards, the hunter stopped eating meat. Another legend has it that after the Earth was faced with an imminent destruction, Goddess Parvati pledged with Lord Shiva to save the world. Pleased with her prayers, Lord Shiva agreed to save the world

on the pretext that the people of the Earth would have to worship him with dedication and passion. From that day onwards, the night came to be known as Maha Shivratri and people began worshipping Shiva with a great enthusiasm. Some folklore also consider this to be Shivas day as this was believed to be the answer given by Lord Shiva when asked about his favorite day by Goddess Parvati. Ganga Comes Down to Earth : A legend from the Ramayana speaks of King Bhagirath who once meditated before Lord Brahma for a thousand years for the salvation of the souls of his ancestors. Pleased with his devotion Brahma granted him a wish. He requested the Lord to send the river Ganges down to earth from heaven so that she could flow over his ancestors' ashes and wash their curse away and allow them to go to heaven. Brahma granted his wish but asked him to pray to Shiva, for he alone could support the weight of her descent. Accordingly he prayed to Shiva and he allowed the Ganges to descend on his head, and after meandering through his thick matted locks, the holy river reached the earth. This story is re-enacted by bathing the 'linga'. Why Shiva is Worshipped in His Phallic Form: According to another legend, once Brahma and Vishnu, two other deities of the holy Trinity, had an argument as to their supremacy. Brahma being the Creator declared himself to be more revered, while Vishnu, the Preserver, pronounced that he commanded more respect. Just then a colossal 'lingam', known as Jyotirlinga, blanketed in flames, appeared before them. Both Brahma and Vishnu were awestruck by its rapidly increasing size. They forgot their quarrel and decided to determine its size. Vishnu assuming the form of a boar went to the netherworld and Brahma as a swan flew to the skies. But both of them failed to accomplish the self-assumed tasks. Then, Shiva appeared out of the 'lingam' and stated that he was the progenitor of them both and that henceforth he should be worshiped in his phallic form, the 'lingam', and not in his anthropomorphic form.