MahaShivaratri is “the big night of Lord Shiva”
and people observe a fast on the day of MahaShivaratri. This day of MahaShivaratri
is dedicated to Lord Shiva and people perform several rituals and traditions
on the festival. Some people are so devoted to lord Shiva that they visit
famous temples of Lord Shiva to worship Shiva and perform the rituals and
customs associated with the festival.
MahaShivaratri is celebrated all over
India and the renowned temples of Lord Shiva face a large crowd of people on
this festival. Some of the famous places that you can visit on MahaShivaratri
are:
* In Madhya Pradesh: Omkareshwar
* In Tamil Nadu: Rameshwaram
* In Maharashtra (Daminyal): Bhimashankar
* In Madhya Pradesh: Mahakaleshwar
* In Saurashtra: Somnath
* In Dwarka: Naageshwar
* In Uttar Pradesh: Mallikarjuna
* In Himalayas: Kedarnath
* In Ellora near Aurangabad: Ghushmeshwar
* In Nashik: Tryambakeshwar
* In Benaras: Vishwanath
* In Marathwada: Vaidyanatha
* In Assam: Shibsagar
* In West Bengal: Tarakeshwar
The above temples have divine ShivaLingas
and/or beautiful statues of Lord Shiva that portray a perfect picture of Lord
Shiva. People visit the above places and give a bath to Shiva lingam making
offerings of milk, water, bael leaves, honey and fruits. While offering all
these things Shiv chalisa and aarti is also recited by people in order to remember
Lord Shiva. Generally “Om Namah Shivaya” is the line that is repeated
by people several times. So if you get a chance then try to visit any of the
above Shiv temples on the festival of Shivratri. Beside the above mentioned
places, there are the other Jyotirlingas/Swayambhu ShivaLingas, and other popular/historical
Shiva temples that might enlighten you and at the same time, fill your mind
and heart with divine bliss.
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