mahāśivarātri
mahāśivarātri represents the victory of light over darkness, knowldege over ignorance. It is believed that Lord śiva vanquished tripurāsurā, the demon of ignorance and ego, on this particular evening.
mahāśivarātri commemorates the day that Lord śiva performs the tānḍava, the cosmic dance of creation, preservation, and destruction. It is also believed that on this day, Lord śiva weds dēvī pārvati.
The preparations for and celebration of mahāśivarātri spans over 3 days as detailed below:
| February 24 | 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. | ekādaśa kalaśa āvāhana (kalaśa sthāpana) |
| February 25 | 11:30 a.m – 12:30 p.m. | special abhiṣēkam (followed by madhyāhna āratī) |
| 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. | mahanyāsa pārāyaṇam | |
| 8:00 – 8:30 p.m. | brief (laghu) ṣēja āratī | |
| 8:30 – 11:30 p.m. | ekādaśa vāra rudram chanting; simultaneously lingārcana for 365 sphaṭika lingams | |
| 11:30 – 11:55 p.m. | alankāraṇa | |
| February 26 | Midnight – 12: 30 a.m. | mahā maṅgaḷa āratī followed by uttara pūja |
| 12:30 a.m. – 1:30 a.m. | śiva tāṇḍava nṛtya nivēdana | |
| 1:30 a.m. – 3:00 a.m. | śiva pārvatī kalyāṇam | |
| 3:00 a.m. – 5:00 a.m. | bhajans | |
| 5:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m. | carama abhiṣēkam (yamābhiṣēkam) | |
| 6:15 a.m. | kākaḍ āratī | |
| 6:45 a.m. | temple closes | |
| 10:30 a.m. | temple reopens and resumes normal operations |
As one can expect (and as in previous years) there are several opportunities for devotees to sponsor events and activities during this elaborate celebration. These opportunities are:
To honour their reverence for Lord śiva, devotees from all cultural backgrounds come together. mahāśivarātri is a time for group worship, devotional singing (bhajans), and ritualistic engagement.
This festival also marks a time of spiritual introspection and devotion. Devotees perform rituals like offering bilva leaves, milk, and water to śiva lingam. Additionally, some devotees chant prayers such as mahā-mṛtyuñjaya mantra while fasting and observing night-long vigils at śiva temples. This festival symbolizes self-discipline, pursuit of inner harmony, and the triumph of light over darkness.
