Maha Shivaratri 2023: Date, Significance, Mahurat, Puja Vidhi

The festival of MahaShivaratri celebrates the union of Goddess Parvati with Lord Shiva. This is also referred to as the convergence of knowledge and energy. This year the occasion will fall on February 18, 2022, and is always celebrated across the country with vigor as devotees fast and chant mantras to obtain Shiva's blessings.

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Detailed Information About Maha Shivaratri:

For all devotees of Lord Shiva, the god of destruction, this festival holds a profound significance. Darkness during half of the lunar month has special significance to the God. According to the Hindu calendar, this is even more symbolic when it occurs in the month of Magha or Phalguna. It signifies the beginning of the summer season. Devotees especially celebrate the day by fasting and paying homage to the lingam, which is a symbol of Shiva. According to legend, MahaShivaratri signifies "the great night of Lord Shiva." It is on this night that the Lord is said to perform tandava. One of the biggest Hindu festivals is marked by fairs, celebrations, and festivities.

Date and Time of Maha Shivaratri 2022:

A prominent festival of the Hindu religion is Maha Shivaratri. During the festival, Lord Shiva is worshipped. According to the Hindu calendar, Maha Shivaratri is observed on Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi of Falgun month every year. On Tuesday, March 1, the auspicious day for Maha Shivaratri will begin at 3.16 a.m. And on Wednesday, March 2, the Chaturdashi Tithi will end at 10 a.m.

Date and Time of Maha Shivaratri 2023:

A prominent festival of the Hindu religion is Maha Shivaratri. During the festival, Lord Shiva is worshipped. According to the Hindu calendar, Maha Shivaratri is observed on Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi of Falgun month every year. In 2023 on Saturday, 18 February, the auspicious day for Maha Shivaratri.

What is the Significance of Maha Shivaratri 2023:

Everyone has their own interpretation of this day. This festival holds a special meaning for those who follow the spiritual path. As for those in the grihastha phase of their lives, they also celebrate the victory of Siva over his enemies on this day. Shiva's marriage anniversary to the incarnation of Shakti, Parvati, is also celebrated during this festival. Fasts are observed on this day to seek a powerful marriage like theirs.

Asceticism, on the other hand, believes today is the day when he became a yogi, becoming stoic like Mount Kailash. This was the day he became the Adi Guru/ Adi Yogi, the first guru of the yogis. Ascetics see the day as the night of observing stillness, which makes sense since it is an important day for them.

Maha Shivaratri Puja Vidhi:

The ritualists must wash their bodies and adorn clean clothes, then perform the following vidhi to gain the Lord's blessings:

• Spend some time meditating in a peaceful environment to align yourself with the high power.
• Sprinkle some water on the feet of the lord to begin the puja.
• Then offer the idol some arghya.
• To Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati, offer Akshat, Paan, Betel nut, Molly, Sandalwood, Clove, Cardamom, Milk, Curd, Honey, Ghee, Datura, Belpatra, Kamalgatta and fruits. You should perform the Puja and sing the arti of Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati. Associated rituals with MahaShivaratri:

While celebrating the festival, different rituals are performed that refer to Shiva and Parvati's union.

• People observe a fast all day long. Unmarried women pray for an ideal husband like Shiva while married women pray for the longevity of their husbands.
• Thousands of devotees visit Kaashi Vishwanath's temple to seek the Lord's blessings and offer water and milk abhishek to the Shiva lingam.
• Devotees bathe in the holy waters of Ganga to purify their bodies, minds, and souls.
• Dhatura and Bel Patra are two of Lord Shiva's favorites. In temples, these are offered in large quantities.
• Symbolically, Shiva represents knowledge, hygienic practices, and penance. Three horizontal lines are drawn on the foreheads of devotees as a reminder of this.
• Rudraksha trees are believed to be born from the tears of Lord Shiva. For this reason, devotees make offerings to the tree.

Puja Mantras for Maha Shivaratri 2023:

This day is celebrated by reciting Mahamritnyujya and Shiva's mantra.

Mahamritnyujya Mantra:

ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्।उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात्॥

Shiva’s Mantra:

ऊँ नम: शिवाय

All your wishes are fulfilled if you perform the Puja according to the rituals.

Significance of Celebrating Shivaratri Astrologically:

This festival celebrates Lord Shiva on the fourteenth day of Krishna Paksha Chaturdasi, a dark fortnight. Shiva is the Lord of Chaturdashi as well, according to the science of astrology. Therefore, this day is astronomically significant, since the moon is thought to influence our minds in a profound way, according to mystical sciences. During the festival, the moon's influence is relatively weaker. Through worshiping Lord Shiva, one also strengthens the moon's influence over their birth chart. It is because Lord Shiva wears the moon on his forehead. It is therefore beneficial to worship Shiva on this day to increase mental strength, endurance, courage, and willpower.

Famous legends associated with Maha Shivaratri:

A Maha Shivaratri story describes the battle between Lord Brahma and Vishnu to prove who was more powerful. Lord Shiva appeared as a beam of light in order to resolve the dispute between the creator and the preserver. He asked them to find the beginning and ending of the beam. The supreme god will be the one who is able to achieve this, stated Shiva. Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu agreed, and while Lord Brahma turned into a swan to fly upwards to find the source of light, Lord Vishnu transformed into a bug to dig deeper into the Earth. Lord Vishnu conceded defeat, but Lord Brahma concocted a lie to secure victory. Shiva was enraged by Lord Brahma's actions, and cut off one of his five heads in a symbolic act emphasizing the eradication of falsehood on this day.

During this auspicious event, people across the country absolve their sins and celebrate MahaShivaratri by taking a dip in the holy waters. On this day, people celebrate the inevitable truths of life and sacrifice courage and bravery to face life's challenges.