Maha Shivratri 2024: With great religious and cultural significance, Maha Shivratri is a prominent Hindu holiday. Every year, in February or March, there is a celebration dedicated to Lord Shiva, the ultimate deity of rebirth and destruction. The Hindu calendar states that the festival of Maha Shivratri is celebrated on the fourteenth day, or Chaturdashi, of the dark half of the lunar month of Phalguna, or Magha. Prayers are said on this day to help people overcome ignorance and darkness in their lives. Devotees worship Lord Shiva ritualistically and fast throughout the day and night.
Date of Maha Shivratri 2024
The festival is scheduled on March 8 this year. Maha Shivratri is observed in numerous Indian states. In addition to fasting, followers practice abstinence, pray, and meditate all day long in an effort to achieve spiritual enlightenment and divine rewards.
Devotees of Lord Shiva flock to temples where they give prayers, carry out rituals, and take part in vigils lasting all night, called “Jagaran,” during which they chant hymns and sing devotional songs in honor of the Lord.
Maha Shivratri is a fortunate period
The Chaturdashi Tithi (fourteenth day) in 2024 will start at 9:57 p.m. on March 8 and end at 6:17 p.m. on March 9. On March 9, the Nishita Kaal Puja Time will start at 12:07 am and terminate at 12:56 am.Because it is associated with Lord Shiva’s heavenly dance, the Tandava, which represents the never-ending cycle of creation, preservation, and destruction, the night of Maha Shivratri is seen to be especially fortunate. Visits to Shiva temples are customarily marked with offerings of “bilva” leaves, milk, honey, and water to the deity’s famous lingam, which stands for purity and devotion.
Maha Shivratri’s past
Maha Shivratri has its roots in ancient Hindu scriptures, specifically the Puranas, which tell the story of the ocean churning, or Samudra Manthan. Hindu mythology states that a pot of poison rose from the ocean at this celestial occurrence, threatening to wipe out life as we know it.
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