Mahashivratri 2020: Shivratri is an important festival for the devotees of Shiva and for Hindus in general. The festival, also known as Padmajarathri is celebrated across the country on a very large scale. Shivratri is celebrated in the Phalgun and Shravan months. These two Shivratris are considered to be really important. The upcoming Shivratri is called the Maha Shivratri as it is celebrated by Hindus in a very grand manner. Here's a lowdown on the date, time, significance and Puja Vidhi:
Maha Shivratri date and time
Shivratri falls on Friday February 21, 2020 this year. Chaturdashi Tithi starts at 5:20 pm on Friday and will culminate at 7:02 pm on Saturday. This is the time period when Mahashivratri is celebrated. The right time or the correct Muhurat to perform the most significant Shiva Pooja is the Nishita Kaal from 12:08 am to 01:00 am on Friday.
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Maha Shivratri significance
Shivratri is a very important festival for devotees of Shiva. There are several beliefs and tales regarding the significance of Mahashivratri. This day is normally celebrated as the birthday of Lord Shiva. According to popular beliefs, Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu were fighting over excellence. That is when the Shivling originated.
According to another beief, this is the day when Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati got married. According to a mythological tale, Shivratri is the day when Lord Shiva performed his cosmic dance, Tandava. The holy night is dedicated to performing puja and worshipping Shiva.
Maha Shivratri importance
According to Hinduism, Shivratri is considered auspicious for women. On this day, married women pray for the long lives of their husbands. Unmarried women pray for an ideal husband like Shiva on this day.
Maha Shivratri Puja Vidhi
In all Shiva temples, Shivratri Puja takes place throughout the night. Shivratri Puja is also performed at home. Devotees douse the Shivling with water from Ganges, rose water, sandalwood paste, turmeric, sacred ash, panchamrit, coconut water, fragrant materials, honey, milk, curd and more. At the end of the puja, specially prepared dishes are offered to Shiva. Garlands, flowers, coconut, fruits, dry fruits are also offered to Lord Shiva. This puja ends with aarti and distributing prasad to the family members and the invitees.
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