Festival of maha Shivaratri has a tremendous significance in Hinduism.Acording to sacred scripture, ritual worship of lord Shiva on shivaratri festival that falls on the 14th of the dark fortnight in the month of phalgun pleases the Lord Shiva the most.
Devotees of Lord Shiva perform the ritual worship of shivaratri with care and devotion. They observe day night fast and offer snanam & abhisekam(Sacred bath) to Shivalinga with honey, milk, water etc.indu consider it extremely auspicious to worshi Lord Shiva on a shivaratri as it is believed that worship of lord Shiva with devotion and sincerity absolves a devotee of past sins, awakens his or her inner faculty of wisdom and knowledge.
The Stories related to Mahasivaratri
Puranas mention many stories and legends describing the origin of this festival. Accordinan g to one during the Samudra manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. This terrified the Gods and demons as the poison was capable of destroying the entire world and they ran to lord Shiva for help to protect the world from its evil effects, Shiva drank the deadly poison but held it in his throat in stead of swallowing it. This made his throat turn blue and he was given the name “ Neelkantha” the blue throated one. Shivaratri is celebration of this event by which lord Shiva saved the world.
According to another legend in the shiva purana, once the other two of the Hindu trinity, Brahma and Vishnu were fighting over who was superior of the two.
Horrified at the intensity of battle, the other gods asked lord shiva to intervene. To make them realize the futulity of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of huge comumn of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu.
Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one end each to establish supremacy over the other. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upward and Vishnu as Varah went into the earth. But light had no limit and though they searched for thousands of mile, neither could find the end.
On His journey upwards Brahma came across a ketaki flower waftling down slowly. When asked where she had come from, the ketaki replied that she had been been placed at the top of fiery column as an offering. Unable to find the uppermost limit, Brahma decided to end his search and take the flower as a witness.
At this the angry Shiva revealed his true form. He punished Bramha for telling lieand cursed him that no one would ever pray to him.
The Ketaki flower too was banned from being used as an offering for any worship as she had testified falsely. Since it was on the 14th day of dark half of the month of Phulguna, the Shiva first manifested himself in the form of linga, the day is especially celebrated as Mahashivaratri, worshiping Shiva on this day is considered to bless one with happiness and prosperity.
The legend explains all-night puja (worship) of Shiva, remaining awake throughout night, chanting, singing devotional songs and so on.
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