sdmsh@tstt.net.tt

Great night of worship

• Shivaratri to be celebrated
• March 5 with prayers, singing and fasting.
• Festival dedicated to worship of Lord Shiva.

Shiva the third God of the Hindu triad and the destroyer of all evil.

This year Shivaratri falls on March 5 and nighttime celebrations will take place across Trinidad. There are temples named after Lord Shiva and these places of worship overflow with hundreds of devotees over a 12-hour period.

The Shiva Temple at Caura Royal Road, El Dorado and the Shiva Temple at Cacandee Road, Felicity, are historic places that Hindus attend every Shivaratri.

Shiva worshippers came to T&T among the first and subsequent Indian immigrant arrivals (1845-1917) from India. The south Indian Hindu focused more on the worship of Lord Shiva than the other members of the Hindu triad—Vishnu and Brahma.

Maha Shivaratri (the great night of Shiva) falls on the 14th day of the dark fortnight of Phalguna (February-March) and is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. This festival is purely religious in nature and universally observed by all Hindus.

On this day devotees sing bhajans (religious songs) in honour of Shiva, recite Sanskrit shlokas (verses) from scriptures, offer prayers in the morning and evening, and some observe fasting throughout the day. People visit other temples and offer prayers in large crowds.

The prayers and worship continue late into the night and early morning when the devotees offer coconut, bilva leaves, fruits, and specially prepared sacred food to Shiva and his divine consort, Parvati. Offering bilva leaves to Shiva on Shivaratri is considered very auspicious by his devotees.

Devout people observe Shivaratri with great dignity and devotion and pray for peace and prosperity for humanity as a whole. They specially keep a fast, put on simple garments, washed or new, according to the custom of each area.

They start preparation for observing this holy day a few days early. On this day specially, they clean their houses and surroundings. This time coincides with the advent of the spring season and, naturally, people have to change from their winter atmosphere to approaching spring moods. Therefore, this day instils in them new life.

The origin of Shivaratri is attributed to several Hindu stories. One very popular story traces the origin of this festival to the churning of the “Ocean of Milk” by devas (gods) and asuras (demons).

It is said that when both gods and demons were churning the “Ocean of Milk” to obtain amrita (water of immortal life), they came across many unusual substances, including the deadly poison kalakuta.

As soon as they touched the poison, it exploded into poisonous fumes that threatened to envelope the entire universe with darkness. When the destruction of the universe seemed inevitable, the gods ran for assistance from gods Brahma and Vishnu, but neither was able to help.

At last they ran to Lord Shiva, who raised his trident and condensed the fumes. In order to save creation, Shiva swallowed the poison without spilling a single drop. The poison left a dark blue mark on Shiva’s throat. The gods praised and worshipped Shiva for saving the universe.

Shiva literally means “auspiciousness, welfare.” He is the third god of the Hindu triad and is the destroyer of all evil. He represents darkness (tamas) and is said to be the “angry god.” However, according to Hinduism, creation follows destruction.

Therefore, Shiva is also regarded as a reproductive power, which restores what has been dissolved. As one who restores, he is represented as the linga or phallus symbol of regeneration.

He has 1,008 names, including Mahadeva (the great god), Mahesh, Rudra, Neelkantha (the blue-throated one), and Ishwar (the supreme god). He is also called Mahayogi, or the great ascetic, who symbolises the highest form of austere penance and abstract meditation, which result in salvation.

Shiva is believed to exist in many forms. His most common depiction is as a dark-skinned ascetic with a blue throat. He is usually depicted seated cross-legged on a tiger skin.

Shiva’s hair is matted and coiled on his head, adorned with a snake and a crescent moon. Ganga (the Hindu holy river) is always depicted flowing out of his topknot. Shiva has four arms and three eyes.

The third eye, in the middle of his forehead, is always closed and only opens to annihilate an evildoer. A garland of skulls, rudraksha beads, or a snake hang from his neck. Shiva also wears snakes as armlets and bracelets.

The serpent race, despised and feared by all other creatures, found a place of honour on Shiva’s scared person, simple because he was moved by their plight.

In one hand, Shiva holds his tri-shul, or trident. The trishul usually has a damaru or waisted drum tied to it. In another hand, he holds a conch shell and in the third, a rudraksha rosary, a club, or a bow.

The light from this eye is believed to be very powerful, and therefore destructive. Shiva opens his third eye only in anger, and the offender is burnt to cinders.

n Satnarayan Maharaj is the

secretary general of the

Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha