Pashupatinath temple. Photo by Priti Thapa

Maha Shivaratri (Maha: big, Ratri: night, so lit. the big night of Shiva) is a Hindu festival, celebrated annually in honor of the Lord of destruction, Shiva.  The festival marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti  (power).  As it is celebrated/observed on Falgun Krishna Chaturdashi, the 14th day of the dark fortnight of the Falgun month, as per the Hindu lunar calendar, it is believed that on this day, the stars in the Northern Hemisphere are at most optimum positions to help raise a person’s spiritual energy. It is also believed that the Shiva principle is most active on Shivaratri. It falls towards the late winter so Maha Shivaratri is celebrated to commemorate the oncoming summer. Shivaratri is one of the four nights known as Kaalratri, Moharatri, Sukharatri and is regarded as one of the greatest festivals in the holy scriptures of the Hindus—the Puranas. The wall art of Lord Shiva by Iamakashwiki

How Nepalese Celebrate Shivaratri?

Thousands of Hindu pilgrims from around the world come to the Pashupatinath Temple in Nepal to worship Lord Shiva, on this holiest day of the year. People fast and worship Shivalinga at homes and their community temples if they can't go to Pashupatinath. Devotees, especially women dressed in their bridal attire line up outside the Shiva Temples to seek his audience.  Special attendance camps are set in the courtyards of the temples. Children are seen blocking roads of passerby to collect donations in the mornings of Shivaratri to prepare for holy meals and "Dhuni" (bonfire) in celebration of the special night. At night people make Dhuni and feasts of food are put out at various streets and Shiva temples. Devotees pull all night enjoying Dhuni, singing Shiva bhajan, devotional songs of Shiva. There is also a scientific explanation of Dhuni burnt and staying around it on the night of Shivaratri. It is to absorb and prepare our body for the onsetting summer, it is believed that the bonfire will help the body to transition smoothly from winter to summer. Devotees chant “Om Namah Shivay” and “Mahamritunjaya” all night praying for light over darkness. Om Namah Shivay, means I bow down to Shiva, the that Shiva that resides in me.  "Mahamrityunjaya", the mantra from Reg Veda, people chant it to ask Shiva to bestow them with longevity,  to ward off evil calamities and prevent one from untimely death. The mantra is also known as the Triyambaka Mantra. Thus, Shivaratri is one of those festivals that define the belief and importance of the Hindu religion. A devotee can have mental peace and a calm heart as all the anger, negative energies are reduced low and eventually into the ashes of Dhuni. They go in deep prayers and hence wake up as healed. 

Shivaratri and Pashupatinath Temple

A sea of crowd is expected every year at the Pashupathinath, the Lord of animals,  starting at the crack of dawn. Hundreds of volunteers are deployed to manage a few km long chain of devotees queue entering and exiting temple vicinity, parking facilities, and managing places for devotees to dance or even sit. Many Shiva devouts want to distribute food to the festival attendants, so various organizations volunteer to manage a proper place for the devotees to enjoy their meal. Sadhus, the ascetic men at Pashupatinath make the festival an extra special during Shivaratri. The Sadhus belonging to the nine categories viz, Natha, Udasi, Bairagi, Birmal, Aghori, Vaishnava, Kapalik, Josmani, and Brahmachari reside in groups or individually on the eastern side of Pashupatinath temple, amidst the forest of temples. Some smear ash all over their body,  some make decorative marks on foreheads, hands, and abdomens; some wear big turbans and have rings pierced into earlobes and many are seen smoking Chillums (the Marijuana). The Aghori Sadhus, the followers of Shiva, stay bare-naked and live around Arya Ghats, the cremation grounds at Pashupatinath temple and eat whatever they get. These fearless ones are seen with dogs and partake in consuming alcohol smoking Chilums, the Marijuana. Tourists are seen enjoying the ambiance with much fanfare too. Absorbing in the vibrant atmosphere as colorful and naked sadhus meditate, pose for photographs, and interact with their disciples. Besides its religious significance and myth, Shivaratri is also famous as pop culture in Nepal. It’s a nationwide National Holiday and is looked at as a day when people of every religion (even atheists and antagonists) come together to smoke marijuana or ganja. Sadhus from India come over to visit Pashupatinath and smoke cannabis, which is a delightful sight for the tourists, and are seen observing with awe and curiosity. Only on the day of Shivaratri, it is legal to carry and smoke Marijuana around Pashupatinath or any Shiva temple. Nepal Government makes it available to Sadhus and funds their shelter and food for the day. Sadhus at Pashupatinath by Nabin K. Sapkota (Wikipedia) 

It is believed that on this night, offerings of Lord Shiva’s icons can help one overcome and let go of their sins and start on the path of righteousness, allowing the individual to reach Mount Kailash, Shiva's abode, and achieve ‘Moksha’, the salvation.

Maha Shivaratri Mahima

Although being an ancient festival there are no records of the date of its origin. There are many Biblical stories related to this day. Out of the 12 Shivaratris observed in any given days basing the Hindu Lunar calendar, Maha Shivaratri is considered especially auspicious. Some of the stories related to Shivaratri is written below:

Shiva Tandav

According to one story, Shivaratri is supposed to be the night of convergence of Shiva and Shakti, which in essence mean the masculine and feminine energies that balance the world. In Hindu culture, this is a solemn festival that marks the remembrance of "overcoming darkness and ignorance in life". Different legends, throughout history, describe the significance of Maha Shivratri and according to one of them, it is on this night that Lord Shiva performs Tandav, Shiva's cosmic dance of "creation, preservation, and destruction". The Dancing Shiva is called "Natraja"

Natraja Shiva attributed to "Copyrighted to Himalayan Academy Publications, Kapaa, Kauai, Hawaii"

Why is Shiva called Nila-Kanta?

According to the Puranas, during the great mythical churning of the ocean called "Samudra Manthan", a pot of poison emerged from the ocean, the "Halahal". The gods and the demons were terrified, as Halahal could destroy the entire world. When they rushed to Shiva for help, He, to protect the world, drank the deadly poison, held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This turned his throat blue, and because of this, he came to be known as ‘Nila-Kantha’, the blue-throated one.

Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar

Some legends say that Shivratri is celebrated as the day when Brahma and Vishnu got into a major tiff about their supremacy over each other and an angry Lord Shiva punished them by taking the form of a massive fire that spread across the length of the universe. Vishnu and Brahma then got into the race to find the end of the fire and prove their prowess–only to be dismayed. Brahma resorted to a lie and angered Shiva greatly who cursed that no one would ever pray to him. Therefore, Bramha is the only Trinity whose temple or shrine is scarce!  

Wall art by Sachin Jha of "Shiva pacifying Kali" at a school in Mahottatri District. Photo by Sujan Shrestha.

Shiva Saved World for Parvati

Another tale tells us that Earth was facing an imminent threat, and Goddess Parvati pleaded to Lord Shiva to save it from destruction. Gratified with Parvati's prayers, Mahadev agreed to save the world in return that people on Earth worship him with passion and dedication. Henceforth, the day came to be known as Maha Shivaratri, and people started worshipping the Lord with great devotion and dedication.

Shiva's Favorite, the Bilva Leaves (Bel Patra)

One story says, On the day of Shivaratri, a hunter, who had killed many birds in a forest, was chased by a hungry lion. The hunter climbed a Bilva tree to save himself from the lion’s attack. Bilva Leaves of "Bel Patra' is the favorite flower of Shiva. The lion waited throughout the entire night at the bottom of the tree for its prey. In order to stay awake to avoid falling from the tree, the hunter kept plucking the leaves of the Bilva tree and throwing them below. The leaves fell on a Shiva Linga that was located at the bottom of the tree. Shiva was pleased by the Bel Patra offering made by the hunter, although inadvertently, and saved the hunter in spite of all the sins the hunter had committed by killing the birds. This story emphasizes the auspiciousness of worshipping Shiva with Bilva leaves on Shivaratri.

The legend of Shiva Linga

The legend of Shiva Linga is also deeply related to Maha Shivratri. According to the story, Brahma and Vishnu searched hard to discover the Aadi (the beginning) and the Anta (the end) of Lord Shiva. It has been believed that on the night of of Falgun Krishna Chaturdashi, Shiva first manifested himself in the form of a Linga the pallus. Since then, the day is considered to be extremely auspicious and is celebrated as Maha Shivratri – the grand night of Shiva. To celebrate this occasion, devotees of Lord Shiva fast during the day and worship the Lord throughout the night. It is said that worshipping Lord Shiva on Shivratri bestows one with happiness and prosperity. Shiva Linga at Hanuman Ghat, Bhaktapur, Nepal. Photo by Nikki Thapa