Mahashivratri celebration in Delhi: How people pay homage to Lord Shiva?

Mahashivratri, which translates to ‘ Great Night of Shiva’, is an annual festival celebrated by Hindus. This festival is celebrated to worship Lord Shiva. most followed trition in Hindu religion during Maha Shivratri is ‘Maha Abhishek’ which is a process of bathing idol of Lord Shiva or ‘Shiva Lingam’ with ‘Panchgavya’. festival is celebrated in different parts of India with different rituals and tritions. However, in all parts of India, Mahashivratri is marked with a fast so as to worship Lord Shiva.

Maha Shivratri celebration in Delhi

Maha Shivratri in Delhi includes devotees fasting during day and keeping a vigil during night. festival involves enchanting verses from sacred Hindu texts, offering fruits and flowers to deity, ringing bells in temple and offering prayers to god and most importantly presenting leaves and milk to Shiv lingam. Devotees visit Delhi temples to pay hom to Lord Shiva.

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'Panchakshara' Mantra is recited by devotees as it is believed that those who recite mantra on this special day will be granted a blessing from Lord Shiva and ir sins will be forgiven. It is also believed that this recitation will free one from cycle of birth and death. Women offer prayers on this day to attain marital bliss and a perfect husband.

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On this auspicious day, Shiv lingam is bad in 'Panchagavya' which is a combination of five different offerings. Or offerings me to Lord Shiva include five kinds of food which symbolize immortality, milk, clarified butter, curd, honey, and sugar. Some devotees are believed to offer Dhatura as well as Jati.

This combination of five kinds of food is also considered as ‘Panchamrut’ which is consumed by devotees after puja. Interestingly, Gopeshwar Mahev in Delhi, India has huge celebrations on occasion of Maha Shivratri. devotees offer several different offerings to Lord Shiva including bilva leaves and milk. 

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Unlike Delhi, where  festival is celebrated in tritional way, in sourn regions of India,  devotees of Lord Shiva form a serpentine queue outside Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar to offer prayers on occasion of Maha Shivaratri. y also blow conch at start of pooja. y also form big Shiva idols with small shiva idols to create a beautiful sculpture. 

Mahashivratri Vrat

Mainly, re are two main s of Mahashivratri fast, a regular vrat and a strict Mahashivratri vrat. After taking a bath with sesame seeds water, every devotee observes a full day fast and break fast on next day. y pledge for self-determination throughout fasting period and seek blessing of Lord Shiva to finish fast without any interference.

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