When is Maha Shivratri 2020?

When is Maha Shivratri 2020? Date, story, history, significance and importance of Maha Shivratri for u

One of the most religious celebrations celebrated in Hinduism is the festival of maha Shivaratri. The festival, which is also known as Padmarajarathri, is celebrated every year on a humongous scale in different parts of the country in reverence of Lord Shiva. On the darkest night of the year, devotees stay awake and offer prayers, perform rituals and pay obeisance to Lord bhole baba for his blessed. It is observed every year during the 14th day of the Maagha or Phalguna month (February-March), according to the Panchang, the Hindu calendar. On this auspicious day, devotees worship Lord bhole baba to overcome darkness and sadness from their lives. This year, Maha Shivratri will be celebrated on Friday, February 21,2020. The story, history, significance and importance of Maha Shivratri Lord Shiva is referred to as MahaDev, signifying his special place among Hindu gods. Lord Shiva is one of the three most revered Hindu deities, forming a part of the great Holy Trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh/Shiva – the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer respectively). It is believed that he was performed the dance of preservation, creation and destruction, known as Tandav, in this night. It is also known as ‘Padmarajarathri’ and ‘The Great Night of Shiva’. There are several stories behind the Maha Shivaratri festival. Sawan Shivratri originated with various versions. As per the story of Maha shivaratri, the festival is celebrated to mark the day on which Lord bhole baba married Goddess Parvati. And some people celebrate Shiv Ratri as the day when lord Shiva saved the world from the weed of poison that came out from the ocean during Samurai Manthan. Lord baba bhola drank the poison and held the poison in his throat instead of swallowing it which made his all throat blue. Shiv's name 'Neelkantha' is derived from this incident. Shivratri is considered auspicious for women. Married women pray for the well being and long life of their husbands while unmarried women pray for an ideal husband like Shiva. But generally, it is believed that anyone who takes the name of Shiva during Shivratri with pure devotion is freed from all sins. He or she is believed to reach the abode of Shiva and is liberated from the cycle of birth and death. Lord Shiva's devotees line up at Shiv Temples to offer their prayers on this day. They fast and pray to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati Devi and perform maha abhishekam where they bathe the Shiva Lings with milk and flower. The phallus symbol representing Shiva is called the lingam. Devotees circumambulate the lingam and worship it throughout the night. It is bathed with the five sacred offerings of a cow, called the 'panchagavya' - milk, sour milk, urine, butter, and dung. Then the five foods of immortality i.e. milk, clarified butter, honey, curd and sugar are placed before the lingam. Datura fruit and flower are also offered to Shiva believing it to be sacred and the fast is broken the next morning after the nightlong worship.