MAHASHIVA RATRI THE FESTIVAL OF ALL

Mahashiva Ratri is celebrated all over India in all Shiva Shrines. There are 12 Jyotirlingas in India. On that day every shrine of Lord shiva will be richly decorated and huge arrangements will be made in all the Shiva Temples for the veneration of the Deity.

SHIVA RATRI

Mahashiva Ratri is celebrated in MAGHA Masam of the Hindu calendar. As Ekadasi is very auspicious for Lord Vishnu in Magha period, the Chaturdasi is very auspicious and favorite day of Lord Shiva. This day comes before Amavasya. This is called MAHASHIVA RATRI. Always it comes in KRISHNA PAKSHA.

WHAT TO DO ON SHIVARATRI?

On the day of Shiva Ratri, people take their bath in all holy rivers irrespective of their status, caste, and region and offer prayer to Lord Shiva. In Sri Sailam people take their bath in the river Krishna and in Varanasi the devotees take their bath in the sacred river, Ganga.

image credit:sivasikara.com

After taking their bath they apply BIBHUTI on their forehead. They visit the Shiva temple and offer prayers along with their families. They offer Coconut, flower, Bilwa leaves, Milk, Sugar, Cow Ghee, and Honey. Even if all these items can not be offered they offer at least a Coconut and some milk and perform Abhisheka. That’s enough. They do not take any lunch or meals.

EVENING PROGRAMMES

During the evening they again worship Lord Shiva in their houses or visit any nearby temple. They listen to the speeches and preachings of learned Hindu Philosophers and spend the whole night without any sleep. This is called JAGARANA. During the night they take some fruits.

Again, they take bath in the next day and pay a visit to a Shiva temple, perform prayer and offer Arti. This makes the Shiva Ratri complete.

Most of the procedure is as described above with some deviations according to the region.

WHAT MY GURU SYED HUSSAIN BABA TOLD ME

One day my guru Syed Hussain Baba who commands hold on the Religion asked me’You have the name Siva. Do you know how to worship him?”. I said ‘No’.

PARAD SHIVA LINGA GIFTED BY BABA SYED HUSSAIN

 

image credit to : Rudrakshaguru.com       Parad Shivalinga

Immediately he took some Mercury in his palm and put some leaves in it. He slowly rubbed it with his another palm. It turned into a solid. He prepared a shining Shiva Linga made of Mercury and gifted it to me.

He advised me to worship it at home daily with Cow Milk and after the prayer is over asked me to offer it to a TULASI  plant.

He again told me in his nice voice to donate Bhang, and Milk to the poor and needy irrespective of their age on Shiv Ratri day. This is what one should offer to Lord Shiva. Do it.

I really astonished when I verified some holy Hindu books and Puranas. What Baba had advised me was correct. I practice the same procedure till today.

I do Abishek with Cow milk and Bhang along with all flower, honey, sugar, VI UTI, and Curd and after the prayer is over add some more Bhang to it and donate it liberally to all Sadhus. This way of worshiping Shiva has its own benefits and uses which one can know by experience only.