Maha shivaratri is one of the greatest feu de joie of the Hindus. It’s believed that lord shiva was emerged out of the earth as a form of a Linga (pole) on this day; and also it’s believed to be his birth day. The lord was not born by any parents; he automatically was appeared on this earth. He is believed to be the supreme God according to the Hindu mythology; and Lord Bhrama had created this whole cosmos only by his grace.

This festival falls every year in the dark fortnight of Falgun (Feb). Devotees take fasting throughout the day and eat only one the next day to get good blessing from the lord. During the day and night they spend singing the lord’s hymns and dance joyously in the name of the lord for the blessing. A huge gathering of devotees take place at Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu(Nepal), where thousands of devotees from different part of Nepal and India com to take the lord’s audience. Not only from Nepal but also from the different part of the world the devotees throng here at this time so the festival looks very much spectacular. The main attraction of this festival is to look the sadhu Babas; who come from renowned pilgrimages of India. Nepal Government makes the special pre-arrangement for the devotees by spending a lot of money to the celebration to this festival at pashupatinath pilgrimage site. All the Sadhus and the poor devotees arrive there from far distance and they are arranged there for their food and shelter

After the completion of the Shiva puja; the devotees feed; and donate charities to the Bhramin priests and the proletariats; also they distribute fruits and sweets as a Prasad to the attendants. Without donating the Bhramins and the proletariats any virtue can’t be achieved in the Hindu mythology. That’s why the donation is an inevitable item for the religion.

Similarly a great gathering of devotees takes place in the Bishownath’s temple at Banaras; Amarnath’s temple at Kashmir; Kedarnath’s temple at Gadwal; and at so on temple in India. Pashupatinath is believed to be the supreme God in the Hindu world; and pashupatinath location is the lord’s head. That’s why the outsider Hindus believes that without pashupatinath’s audience they can’t get the true fruit of the virtue; so this is the main reason why the outsider Hindus gives such a great importance to pashupatinath. So this pilgrimage has become the main hub to the whole Hindus of the world. According to the Holy Scriptures shivapuran there’s some legend on the origination of this festival.

Once a hunter was on his way to hunting in the forest for his entire family’s livelihood. He couldn’t find any prey till the evening; so he thought of spending the night there itself in the forest for the prey. The forest was very dense and terrible; so he decided to climb on a wood apple’s tree to spend the night for the fear of the wild animals. Coincidentally the leaves of the tree fell down there on lord shiva’s linga, which was hidden below the tree. The wood apple’s tree is believed to be the most favorable item for lord shiva; so unknowingly he was very much blessed by the Lord; but the hunter was unknown about the audience; and also unknowingly he was earning virtue by the lord. So the lord through of changing the sinful hunters; mind in a to virtuous man. In the night time, a lovely deer arrived there around the periphery and the hunter started to throw his arrow to kill the deer. But the deer said “oh hunter! Please don’t kill me at this time; let me go to see my family before the killing and come back again, then you can kill me because I have a great apology and set him free to meet his family. After a few hours time the deer came honestly in front of the hunter and said to kill him. The hunter became very much wondered by looking the deer’s honestly because it might not have come too. He started to throw the arrow to kill the deer but couldn’t kill because of looking his true honesty. The hunter’s mind was immediately changed; and thought that he is killing to such an honest animal and he doesn’t have that much honesty like the deer has. He thought that he is hatred human being than the poor animal; because though being a human being he doesn’t have that much honesty like the deer. So looking the sincere animal’s honesty he thought that it’s a great sin for him to kill such an innocent animal’ that’s why since that day he left all of his criminal and sinful activates of hunting the wildlife; then started to spend the virtuous life. In fact the deer was lord shiva’s impersonation who was thinking of changing the hunter’s mind the moment the wood apple tree’s leaves fell down on his lingam. So people belive that the day was the Falgun month’s dark fornight’s fourth day; and automatically the lord’s glory was magnified. Considering to this day’s glory; since that time it’s believed to be celebrating the Maha Shivaratri day in the name of Lord Shiva.

Lord Shiva has some more other names as well viz. Bhole Baba;Samboo; Shanker; Kailaspati etc. he has one more very important name that’s Nilkhantha. Once when the Halahal poison came out of the ocean; when the Gods and the Demons started to churn the ocean. It was churned to take out the nectar to feed the gods for strength to make war with the demons. But  when the poison appeared there and started to spoil the whole earth then no body was possible to keep alive; so the lord took it a swallow on his hand and to save this world. He drank that venom but couldn’t take inside because the other gods were staying inside his belly. It had become very hard to keep him the venom inside his throat; so he hit his trident on a hill a take out the water for his coolness. Finally the water came out and it changed in to a lake; and that lake is believed to be the Gosaikunda Lake; where a grand religious fair takes place to Janaipurnima.

On the last day of the fete the sadhus and the Babas are given adieu by feeding them sweet vegetarian foods and with a few monetary donations as per the prevailed custom. Nepal Government Guthi snasthan provides all these arrangements; and this system is believed to be on prevailing since the time of Junga Bhadur Rana’s Premier-ship in Nepal.

Throughout the night of the shivaratri day the sadus arrange a very spectacular bonfire around the pashupatinath area and many people spend the night there with them basking the bonfire, which is called the shivadhuni. Also the small kids spread small ropes and fence the travelers on the way asking the shivaratri donation; and they also collect wood visiting house to house to arrange for the Shivadhuni(bonfire) in the evening. It’s believed that since basking the shivadhuni on this day; our vices will be erased away. So even the elderly people too enthusiast to bask this bonfire. Nepal Government offers one day holiday to this occasion.

Comments (1)

... : Saloni Thapa(Japan) Great description really great. Happy shivaratri to all Nepalese or Hindus. February 23, 2009

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