MAHASHIVRATRI

Mahashivratri – The Great Night of Shiva – is considered as the most spiritual night as per Hindu mythology.
Shivaratri is celebrated on the fourteenth day of every lunar month or the day before the new moon.
Among the twelve Shivaratris that occur during the year, Mahashivratri, the one which ensues during February/March, is the most auspicious.
On this day Lord Shiva got married to Goddess Parvati and their celestial union is known as Shiva and Shakti.
It marks reminiscence of overcoming darkness and ignorance by becoming spiritually inclined.
It is believed that on this day Lord Shiva performs his heavenly dance called ‘tandav’.
Devotees on this day chant, fast, meditate and offer ‘Rudra-Abhishek’ or special ordination to the Shivling where they bathe the ‘Shivling’ with different materials and each of them has a specific significance.
Devotees use water, curd, sugarcane juice, milk, honey and other things for ‘Rudra-Abhishek.
Other important offerings that are essentially used for the ‘Abhishek’ are Dhatura flower, fruit and Bel leaves or Belva Patra.

Have you wondered why number 3 is associated with Lord Shiva?

If you have seen an image of Lord Shiva you will find number 3 associated with him; like 3 eyes (Trinetra), 3 forked weapon (Trishul), three braids of his hair, 3 pronged Belva leaves, 3 horizontal lines on the forehead, he is third God of the Tridev (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) and 3 times pradakshina in Shiva’s temple by chanting his mantras.
It is because Lord Shiva is the eternal God of Hinduism, he has no birth, no death and has no beginning and has no end; and even the Mahapralay or the great destruction cannot affect him.
Lord Shiva is beyond time and space and known as Trikal Jnani, which means knower of past, present, and future. He is also called Kalantaka which means the conqueror of time and death.
Lord Shiva is Trilok Darshi which means the one who can see all the 3 worlds – sky (heaven), earth and subterranean (hell).
The 3-material nature/quality that humans follow in their life are – Satva, Rajas and Tamas; and one can attain salvation or moksha only by going beyond these qualities. Lord Shiva frees his devotees from these three entanglements by attaining state of spiritual consciousness. And there is no birth and no death after attaining this supremacy. He is remover of sins from all our births past, present and future.