Shivaratri is celebrated with devotion and religious fervour with exuberant and excitement in different parts of the nation. We bring you the top five places which are famous for their Maha Shivaratri celebration.
Maha Shivaratri, celebrated by worshipping Lord Shiva is one of the prominent festivals of the Hindu religion. Every year, Maha Shivaratri is celebrated on Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi of Falgun month as per the Hindu calendar. This year, Maha Shivratri will be observed on March 1.
The festival which is also known as ‘Grand Night of Shiva’ marks a remembrance of “overcoming darkness and ignorance” in life. The festival is celebrated on the new moon day in the month of Maagha conferring to the Hindu calendar which is referred to as February as per the Gregorian calendar. The annual celebration is particularly important in the Shaivism tradition of Hinduism beliefs in God Shiva as the supreme deity.
Significance: It is believed that observing the Mahashivratri fast helps in removing all your troubles and fulfilling your dreams. According to Hindu Mythology, Shankaracharya had conquered death by chanting the Mahamrityunjaya mantra. People who are unmarried also keep the fast to get a suitable life partner for them.
From Maha Shivratri’s vrat to Puja, the occasion is dedicated to the God Shiva. It is a noticeable Hindu festival, celebrated with exuberant and excitement in different parts of the nation. We have compiled five places in India that are famous for their Maha Shivratri celebration. We bring you the top five places which are famous for their Maha Shivaratri celebration.
Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple – Ujjain: Jyotirlingas are sacred shrines of Lord Shiva; it is believed that Lord Shiva himself visited these places and hence they have a special place in the hearts of devotees. There are 12 of them in India. Ujjain’s Mahakal temple is the holiest shrine, and it is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga. The temple is located on the banks of river Kshipra, in the dense Mahakal forests in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
Maha Shivratri will be celebrated after 9-day long navratra. The priests performed a special worship of Lord Mahakal with sandal-ubatan and applied turmeric to Shiv-Lingam to mark the launch of the navratra. In the pre-Covid times, millions of devotees would flock Ujjain hoping to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva during the Maha Shivaratri festival.
Bhootnath Temple – Mandi: In a small town in Himachal Pradesh, jubilation and gaiety manifest in the form of a seven-day Shivaratri Mela (fair) in Mandi. Most of these Mandi temples are dedicated to Shiva, with the Trilok Nath temple, Pachvaktra temple, and the Bhootnath temple being the main ones. It’s at the Bhootnath temple that the centuries old Shivratri Mela is held.
The Bhootnath temple at Mandi in Himachal Pradesh hosts the biggest Shivaratri celebration in the country. The royal family of Mandi initiated this tradition over 500 years ago and now a week-long International Mandi Shivratri Fair is held here every year and it attracts a lot of tourists from all over the country and even abroad. Every year on Shivratri Festival, the Governor of the state leads a Shobha Yatra at a function inaugurated by the Chief Minister.
Khajuraho - Madhya Pradesh: Shivaratri is celebrated with religious fervour in the state of Madhya Pradesh. As a tradition, people in Madhya Pradesh take a holy dip in Sagar tank on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri in Khajuraho. Bundelkhand Region, which has a stronghold of Shaivites hosts the biggest Shivaratri celebrations in the state. A large number of Lord Shiva devotees flock the Matangeshwar Temple and worship throughout the night.
Haridwar-Rishikesh: The ghats of Rishikesh and Haridwar and considered to be one of the most sacred for celebration and initiation of every festival and occasion. One of them is the festival of Lord Shiva, which is celebrated by lakhs of devotees who reach this place to enjoy a serene and spiritual ambience.
Umananda Temple – Assam: The Umananda Temple in Assam’s capital Guwahati witnesses one of the biggest Maha Shivratri celebrations in India. The temple is located on the peacock island in the Brahmaputra River. Thousands of people in the northeast travel to Guwahati only to witness the grand festival hosted here.
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