Pellau Magazine

In celebration of Maha Shiva Ratri (Great Night of Shiva), Hindus all over the world will be journeying to the temples to worship Lord Shiva tonight. According to the Hindu calendar, it occurs on the 14th night of the new moon in the month of Phalgun (February to March).

It is considered to be the auspicious occasion when Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati were united in marriage. Devotees of Lord Shiva, keep fast by not eating any food prepared with salt. They follow the age-old tradition of picking flowers to offer with a lota (Brass cup) of milk on the lingam or the stone that represents Lord Shiva at midnight.

Here in TT the devotees will attend temple service at 7pm and join in singing and chanting the name of Shiva until midnight when the rituals begin. Hindus consider it extremely auspicious to worship Lord Shiva on this night as it is believed that devotion and sincerity absolves a devotee of past sins. The devotee reaches the abode of Shiva and lives there happily. He is also liberated from the cycle of birth and death and attains moksha or salvation.

According to Pundit Krishna Maharaj of New Grant, the chanting of three simple words can wash away years of sin from an individual. “The Sanskrit words ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ are not just sound vibration coming from the vocal chords but it is a sincere call to Shiva to bring peace and happiness to those who will sit in meditation and to sincerely pray to him,” Maharaj said.

He was at the time conducting a five nights Shiv Puran Yagya at the Craignash Mandir in Princes Town. The pundit told an attentive audience that it is quite easy for anyone to gain immense peace and happiness as Lord Shiva promises to reach his devotees and give them relief from and difficulty. He went on to say that it is easy to fall into bad habits when one is not actually doing worship to God.

“Many may say they will pray when the time is right and also that time is limited and they could not do worship. But making this one priority is necessary in today’s world where there is a lot of bad influence wherever we turn,” he said. He noted that devotees keep day and night fast and some go on a diet of fruits and milk, whereas others do not even consume a drop of water in order to attain peace and happiness. Worshipping Lord Shiva he says, would rid devotees of the cycle of birth and death. He went on to say that for women this is a sacred day as married women pray for the well-being of their husbands and unmarried woman seek a husband who are honest hardworking and dedicated.

The phallus symbol representing Shiva is called the lingam. Devotees circumambulate the lingam and worship it throughout the night. It is bathed every three hours with the five sacred offerings of milk, clarified butter, curd, honey and sugar-cane and offerings are placed before the lingam. Bael leaves and the datura fruit and flower, are believed to be sacred to Shiva and thus offered to him.

Pundit Jishnu Maharaj, who is the son of Pundit Krishna join with Wanye Ali and Linda Ali to provide Shiva Bhajans at this yagna (prayer meeting). Dinner consisting of channa and potatoes, melongene and anchar was served at 9 pm