Maha Shivaratri 🔱🙇

                         (Image from google) 

This is a day wholly dedicated to Lord Shiva, the supreme deity in Hindu mythology. This day is also called 'The great night of Shiva'. While festivals like Diwali, Holi, pongal are celebrated with a story behind it, this day is believed to be celebrated as a mark of the marriage between Lord Shiva and Parvati. Mostly this day comes between February and March where the temples of Lord Shiva will be crowded with devotees and the idols of Shiva and Parvati are worshipped with ritual anointing meaning sacred bathing of the idols. Devotees on this day will be fasting by avoiding rice and go only for nuts, milk and wheat products. 

'Rudram' hymns written on Lord Shiva and is a part of yajurveda, one of the four vedas, chanted on this day in order of praying and praising him. Lord Shiva is also called as Rudra, the one who evades the evils and sorrows. 

In most of the temples Lord shiva is sculptured as 'Lingam' which is not like a human form. 

Lord shiva is the deity responsible for the cosmic cycle and he is one among the Trinity gods of Hindu mythology along with Brahma and Vishnu. Lord Shiva is depicted to be sitting in yogic pose and said that one who taught the Yoga Asanas to the seven sages and that is why he is also called as 'Adiyogi'. He is called with various names according to his avatar. In the yogic pose, with semi closed eyes, a sarpam ( snake) around his neck and a trishul (trident) is how he is depicted. He is portrayed to have three eyes, the third on his forehead, the deity who is known for his third eye and one important stage in yoga where, in yoga it is said once when we have the third eye opened which is not a physical eye but an inner eye, we reach a state of calmness and peace. And it cannot be easily attained too. And through the spark from his third was Lord Murugan born. 

His hardest devotees' are called the Nayanmmargal who are of 63. 

And this night the pujas offered to Lord Shiva are divided into four sects along with chanting of Rudram. 

A very powerful day where Lord shiva, God of Gods, who is the protector,  is celebrated by us. One page is not enough to speak about him 🙇🙇.