Bhubaneswar: Every year, millions of people across India and beyond stay awake, chant prayers, and perform rituals in honour of Lord Shiva. Mahashivaratri is one of the most significant Hindu festivals, but what makes this night so special? And why do devotees engage in such specific rituals, from fasting to pouring milk over a stone Lingam?
As it turns out, the traditions surrounding this night are more than mere religious practice, they are about discipline, mindfulness, and a deep-rooted connection between the human and the divine. Lord Shiva represents transformation. He is both the destroyer and the source of renewal.
Maha Shivratri presents the perfect opportunity for devotees to open themselves to the cosmic energies active during this auspicious festival. This experience heightens one’s state of consciousness and sharpens their intuition. It helps them sync with the celestial vibrations.
In Hindu traditions, every ritual has a meaning. Every object placed before Lord Shiva carries a message.
- Milk and Water: The act of pouring milk and water over the Shiva Lingam is one of the most recognizable rituals of Mahashivaratri. But why? Milk represents purity, a clean slate, an offering of something nourishing and life-giving. Water (especially from the Ganga) is believed to carry divine energy, washing away negativity. By pouring these onto the Lingam, devotees are symbolically cleansing their own minds, hoping to remove ego, anger, and attachments.
- Bael Leaves: With its three-lobed structure, the bael leaf is deeply significant in Shiva worship. It is said to represent the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva) or Shiva’s three fundamental aspects: creation, preservation, and destruction. Offering bael leaves is a gesture of surrender, an acknowledgment that life is ever-changing and impermanent.
- Bhasma: Bhasma (Holy Ash) is often smeared on devotees’ foreheads during Maha Shivratri. The symbolism here is striking: that everything (wealth, power, even the body itself) will one day turn to dust. It encourages detachment from materialism and a focus on higher consciousness.
- Fruits and Sweets: Fruits (especially coconuts, bananas, and mangoes) are offered as symbols of gratitude for the abundance of nature. The breaking of a coconut, in particular, represents the breaking of the ego, to show that true wisdom comes when pride is set aside.
- Datura and Bhang: Perhaps the most unusual offering to Shiva is datura (an intoxicating but toxic plant) and bhang (a drink made from cannabis). These are linked to Shiva’s ascetic lifestyle, where he consumes poison and intoxicants but remains unaffected. Offering these items represents a devotee’s wish to transcend desires and remain unaffected by external temptations.