13/02/2018
A mega festival [one of the ] celebrated by from across the universe in the month of February or March every year.
" is a big time mega celebrated every year in reverence of Lord Shiva. The Maha Shivaratri festival, also well known as ' ' or 'Great Night of ', is observed on the (13th night/14th day) in the Krishna Paksha every year in the month of Magh according to the Hindu calendar. It marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti. Maha Shivaratri falls in the months of February or March as per the Gregorian calendar. Of the twelve Shivaratri in the year, the Maha Shivaratri is said to be the most powerful and sacred.
The festival is predominantly celebrated by offerings of Bael or the ‘golden apple’ or Bilva/Vilvam [leaves] to Lord Shiva, with rigorous fasting and an all-night-long vigil (the sanskritic word ‘jagarana’). All through the day, devotees chant "Om Namah Shivaya", a sacred mantra dedicated to . In accordance with scriptural and devotee traditions, penances are performed in order to gain boons in the practice of yoga and meditation, so that one could reach life's highest excellence steadily and swiftly. On this auspicious day, the planetary positions in the Northern hemisphere act as forceful catalysts to help a person raise one’s spiritual energy to a higher level. The benefits of powerful ancient Mantras such as the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra increase manifold on this particular night.
In , millions of Hindus attend Shivaratri together from different corners of the world at the famous and among these are a huge number of Sadhus and naked Naga ascetics’ who also throng the temple each year as they come to worship Shiva in his summer resort and enjoy ma*****na for a spiritual high which is allowed by the government on this particular occasion.
Incentive Holidays continues to organize ‘Maha Shivaratri’’, escorting the faithful to a lifetime of spiritual bliss and happiness…