Bairaj Chawalgami
There is an unknown and mysterious energy that is driving all of us. Scientists have not been able to give it a name, yet. However, saints of yore have called this unknown energy Shiva which is the energy believed to make every living being alive. We are able to breathe, eat, walk and carry out our day to day activities because of Shiva. Not only does this energy drive living beings, but it also resides in non living things – as their energy. Shiva, thus drives existence. Shiva literally means nothingness but it is nothing which creates everything and thus it is Shiva which is behind creating everything. So Shiva implies nothing out of which everything is created and thus Shiva is manifest in each and everything. Shiva in fact thus represents cosmic energy which makes all the people to work and perform all the activities and drives all of us. Mahashivratri is the night of awakening and bliss. In our hustle and bustle of life, we forget our source of energy-that which is running all of us. In a year there are 12 Shivratri’s but the Mahashivratri is the darkest night in month of Faguna. This night should not become just an ordinary night and a night of wakefulness but a night of awakening. India is the land of festivals and fairs and we celebrate many festivals but the festival of Mahashivratri is an important festival and it is celebrated across the length and breadth of the country. But the festival of Mahashivratri has special importance for the kashmiri pandit community and they celebrate this festival in a unique, special and different way. Mahashivratri is the festival to remember and to take our awareness to the basis of our existence. The pertinent question is as to why is the Shivratri celebrated. There is more than one Mahashivratri story behind the celebrating of this festival.
4One is that Lord Shiva married Parvati on this day. So it is the day of the celebration of this sacred union.
4Another story is that when Gods and demons churned the ocean together to obtain ambrosia that lay in its deft, a pot of poison emerged. Lord Shiva consumed this poison, saving both the Gods and the mankind. The poison lodged in the Lords throat turning him blue. Thus to honor the savior of the world, Shivratri is celebrated.
4One more legend is that as Goddess Ganga descended from heaven in full force, Lord Shiva caught her in his matted locks, and released her on to Earth as several streams. This prevented destruction on Earth. As a tribute to Him, the Shivalinga is bathed on this auspicious night.
4One more legend is that as Goddess Ganga descended from heaven in full force, Lord Shiva caught her in his matted locks, and released her on to Earth as several streams. This prevented destruction on Earth. As a tribute to Him, the Shivalinga is bathed on this auspicious night.
Also, it is believed that the formless God Sadashiv appeared in the form of a Lingodhbhav Moorthi at midnight. Hence, people stay awake all night, offering prayers to the God. These are some of the stories that can possibly answer why we celebrate Shivratri. But, what do we do during Shivratri? Mahashivratri is very significant for people who are on the spiritual path. It is also very significant for people who are in family situations, and also for the ambitious in the world. People who live in family situations observe Mahashivratri as Shiva’s wedding anniversary. Those with worldly ambitions see that day as the day Shiva conquered all his enemies. But for the ascetics, it is the day he became one with Mount Kalilash. He became like a mountain- absolutely still. In the yogic tradition ,Shiva is worshipped as a God, but considered as Adi Guru, the first Guru from whom the science of Yoga originated. That day is Mahashivratri. All movement in him stopped and he became utterly still, so ascetics see Mahashivratri as the night of stillness. Mahashivratri is an opportunity and a possibility to bring you to that experience of the vast emptiness within every human being, which is the source of all creation. On the one hand, Shiva is known as the destroyer. On the other, he is known as the most compassionate. He is also known to be the greatest of the givers. The yogic lore is rife with many stories about Shiva’s compassion. The ways of expression of his compassion have been incredible and astonishing at the same time. So Mahashivratri is a special night for receiving too. It is our wish and blessing that you must not pass this night without knowing at least a moment of the vastness of this emptiness that we call as Shiva. Let this night not just be a night of wakefulness, let this night be a night of awakening for us all. Maha Shivratri is one of the most auspicious festivals of Hindus and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is being celebrated this year on 26 February [Wednesday] all over the country.However Kashmiri Pandits celebrate it as Hearat a day earlier that is on 25th February -Tuesday. It holds a great significance for Hindus all across the globe and is one of the most celebrated festivals across the country. This day marks Lord Shiva’s marital union with Goddess Parvati. Devotees visit Shiv-Parvati temples to seek blessings and also observe fast on this day. Maha Shivratri this year falls on Tryodashi Tithi during Krishna Paksha in the month of Magha in the South Indian calendar or the Amavasyant Hindu lunar calendar. However, according to North Indian calendar or the Poornimant lunar calendar, Maha Shivaratri is the Masik(monthly) Shivaratri in the month of Phalguna. The day is celebrated as Goddess Parvati and Shiva’s marriage. This is the most popular legend associated with Maha Shivratri. The day marks the marital union of the Lord with his consort. After his wife Sati’s death, Shiva lived like a hermit. He was immersed in meditation and undertook severe penance. Sati took rebirth as Parvati in order to win Shiva’s heart once again and become his consort. She did rigorous penance for years and did all that she could to win his attention. On seeing her dedication, devotion and immeasurable love, Shiva accepted her as his wife. They married on the 14th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Phalguna. It is related with Samunder Mamthan episode. In a contest of one-upmanship, the Devas and the Asuras – started churning the Samudra or ocean to obtain the divine nectar (Amrita) to gain immortality. While churning the ocean with Mount Mandara as the rod and Vasuki, the King of serpents as a rope, a number of beneficial things emerged from the ocean but with it also surfaced the Halahala or the poison. Halahala was so toxic that it could ruin the creation. In order to save life and the universe, Lord Vishnu asked the Devas to reach out to Lord Shiva, who alone could consume the poison. Lord Shiva readily agreed to consume Halahala. Fearing it could harm him, Goddess Parvati pressed his neck with her hands thereby preventing the Halahala from going down his throat. This made Halahala find refugee in his throat. Though it failed to cause harm to Shiva, it turned his neck blue. Hence Shiva is also known as Neelakantha. In order to ensure, Halahala has no other impact on the Lord, the Devas and devotees of the Lord kept him awake all night singing praises and performing dances. Shivlinga came into being this way, Once, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma had an argument over their supremacy. This created much disturbance in the Devaloka and the Devas reached out to Lord Shiva for help. In order to make Brahma and Vishnu realize that there was a supreme power governing them, Shiva appeared as a fiery flame shaped like a lingam and challenged the two to trace the beginning and the end of the beaming light. Vishnu transformed into a boar and headed underground while Brahma took the form of a Swan to fly upward. The search turned out to be so tiring that Brahma persuaded Ketaki flower to play witness to his “achievement” of tracing the origin of the beam and convey the same to Lord Vishnu. This is when Lord Shiva emerged in his full form from the beam. Realising that their argument was futile and their claim to supremacy meaningless, Brahma and Vishnu bowed to Lord Shiva and pleaded forgiveness. Since Shiva appeared in a Linga form on this day, people celebrate his supremacy by remaining awake and chanting mantras honoring him on Maha Shivaratri.
As already mentioned Shivratri is celebrated in a unique ,different and special way by the kashmiri pandits and the festival has great importance for the kashmiri pandits .The kashmiri Hindus start the preparations for this yearly festival a fortnight before the day of Shivratri and on this day the head of the family observes fast and breaks it after the pooja at midnight. They fill some pots with water and walnuts and perform pooja. These pots are symbolized as Lord Shiva, his consort Parvati and their son Ganesh and also the Bharavas. It is said that the four kernels of the walnut represent the four Vedas. After three days the walnuts are distribute to the relatives and neighbours. The kashmiri pandits cook many vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes and offer them to the Baravas on the auspicious night and after pooja they eat the specially prepared food and dishes.
May Lord Shiva bestow his blessings to the humanity.