What is Maha Shivratri 2021 Puja time? Or Maha Shivratri 2021 kab hai? You must be having a lot of questions about the upcoming Maha Shivratri and here, in this blog, we would try to answer all of those.
Maha Shivratri is one of the most celebrated festivals in Hinduism for the sheer piousness towards Shiva that Indians have. While Shivratri is something that arrives every lunar-solar month on the 13th/14th day, however, Maha Shivratri, as a festival, is observed only once a year during late winter i.e. Phalguna, before the arrival of Summer.
In Hinduism, Maha Shivaratri means the “Great Night of Shiva” and is a night for Shiva to enjoy, dance and adore his existence just like we all must. However, before moving any further with the blog, let’s highlight the first things first.
Maha Shivratri 2021 Chaturdashi Tithi timings – The Chaturdashi Tithi begins at 2:39 PM on March 11 and ends at 3:02 PM on March 12, 2021.
Shivratri 2021 Shubh Muhurat – For the unaware, Shivratri Puja takes place during Nishita Kaal or midnight. And the Nishita Kaal puja time for Maha Shivratri 2021 is between 12:06 AM to 12:55 AM on March 12.
However, a Shiva devotee may Perform Shiva Puja at certain Nishita Kaal or any/all four Prahars as well, the timing for which in 2021 are:
Shivratri, which is the darkest night of the month also entwines with the celebration of the darkness (as it falls a day before the new moon). A lay-mind might wonder why one needs to celebrate darkness? But resisting darkness or even thinking of it as evil could be the most foolish thing to do as darkness has its own significance in the world. Darkness, like the light, doesn’t even need a source to justify its presence and that’s sheer power.
Scientifically too, only as much as 5 per cent of outer space is illuminated by what we call galaxies. The remaining 95 per cent is the vast emptiness. And this vastness, this unbounded emptiness, is what we refer to as Shiva.
In a nutshell, darkness is only the thing that remains in the world forever. So why not preach it? Why run away from it? It’s altogether the lap of the heavenly Lord and getting to know darkness is an opportunity for us to think beyond their limitedness.
Maha Shivaratri, apart from being significant to a layman, is particularly very significant for anyone who is on a spiritual path.
It is believed that on the occasion of Chaturdashi, the Moon gets debilitated i.e. weakens. And the fact that the Moon is connected to a person’s mood and mind, the debilitation can affect the same aspects in humans. Hence, during Maha Shivaratri (celebrated a day before the new moon), the strength of the moon is empowered by Lord Shiva, which positively enriches your mindfulness.
Also, Maha Shivratri is the day that denotes the period of Surya Deva reaching Uttarayana i.e the northward movement of the Earth. The shift followed by seasonal change and is considered a very auspicious time, as per our astrologers, to indulge in physical pleasure. So if you have been planning for kids, this literally is the best time to begin with.
Just in case the captivity of the lockdown had bored you enough, this Shivaratri, you might want to consider paying a visit to any of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India.
For anyone who doesn’t know what is Jyotirlinga? A Jyotirlinga is a holy representation of Lord Shiva. The legends of different Jyotirlingas are mentioned in the Shiva Purana. With that being said, here is a list of 12 Jyotirlingas in India that you can consider visiting this Maha Shivaratri.
It is a belief among people that this Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga was established by Lord Rama himself when he was on his way to Lanka to fight against Ravana. Rama had stopped at Rameshwaram to drink water when eh heard a celestial sound that said – “You are drinking water without worshipping me.” Thus, Rama installed a Jyotirlinga made of sand at the spot and worshipped it before leaving.
As per the Puranas, Lord Shiva donned the form of Somnath when he went to visit Lord Krishna at the time of his birth. Somnath, since then, is believed to be the most compassionate form of Lord Shiva. However, in history, the Somnath temple has been breached and looted multiple times for its precious stones and diamonds it was once studded with.
Nageshwar Jyotirlinga is also called Naganath temple. As per the Shiva Purana, the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga came into being after Lord Shiva saved a Shiva devotee named Supriya and many others from the demon Daaruka.
Located on the island named Mandhata in Madhya Pradesh, Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga signifies the syllable Aum (or OM), which makes it unique in itself. Om sign, for the unaware, signifies knowledge and wisdom and came into being after in a major war, Lord shiva defeated the Danvas.
Vaidyanath Temple was rebuilt by Rani Ahilya Bai in 1776. People believe that visiting this temple brings you closer to attaining moksha. As per the Hindu belief, King Ravana worshipped Shiva at this site to seek his blessings. Herein, he sacrificed his 10 heads one after another in devotion to Lord Shiva. Pleased with this, Shiva walked the earth to cure Ravana as a Vaidhya (“doctor”). From this aspect of Shiva, the temple derives its name.
The Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga signifies Prithvi, which is one of the five elements known. As per the legends, after Ganesha was married before Kartikeya, a happening that angered the latter, after which he left for Mount Kraunja. On seeing this, Lord Shiva followed to pacify him. However, he was turned away. Shiva then decided to stay close to Kartikeya and resided on the mountain by the name of Mallikarujna.
Mahakaleshwar Temple is located on the banks of river Kshipra in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. The legend behind the temple is that once there was a five-year-old boy named Shrikar who, pleased by the devotion of King Chandrasena, decided to worship Lord Shiva. Pleased by his devotion, Lord Shiva assumed the form of a Jyotirlinga and resided in the Mahakal forest.
Located near the temple are the famous Ajanta & Ellora caves. This temple was initially built by Ahilya bai Holkar. The legend behind the temple is that there was once a couple named Sudharm and Sudeha. The couple couldn’t conceive a child so Sudeha got her sister Ghushma married to Sudharm. They bore a son, however, also made Sudeha jealous of her sister. The jealously had Sudeha throwing the son in the lake where Ghushma used to discharge 101 lingams. Ghushma then prayed to Shiva asking him to return her son. Shiva did so while also revealing her sisters deed to Ghusham. However, Sudharm asked Shiva to forgive her sister a gesture which pleased Shiva. Moreover, at Sudharm’s request, Shiva manifested himself in the form of the Jyotirlinga and assumed the name Ghushmeshwar.
Located amidst the crowded streets of Banaras is Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga. The temple has been destroyed and reconstructed multiple times in history. This temple is said to be the dearest to Lord Shiva, and it’s a common belief among people that those who die here achieve liberation.
The temple is located in the Sahyadri region of Pune. And the legend about its existence is related to Kumbhakaran’s son Bhima. When Bhima came to know that Lord Vishu, in the form of Rama, had annihilated his father (Kumbhakarana) he had all the reasons to avenge the loss. So he began praying to Lord Brahma who gave him immense power, which he used for wrong. Then, a war between Shiva and Bhima was inevitable, which Shiva ultimately won. Post the war, Shiva Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga came into being.
One of the most visited Jyotirlingas is Kedarnath in Uttarakhand located at a height of 12,000 feet. As per Shiva Purana, the Pandav brothers came here to seek forgiveness from Shiva for killing their kin during the war. But Shiva didn’t want to forgive them. So he hide in the ground head-first. However, Bhima by then got hold of his tail. The Pandavas then built the first temple at Kedarnath. The other portions of Shiva, after a while, appeared at four different places with all these places now collectively called five Kedaras (Panch Kedar).
Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga is the source of the river Godavari also known by the name Gautami Ganga. As per Shiva Purana, it was after the humble request of River Godavari that Shiva finally decided to reside here by the name Trimbakeshwar.
To know more about the ways to please Lord Shiva on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri 2021, you can check another blog “Best Astrological Remedies on Mahashivratri 2021” of ours where we have detailed about the same. To know more about Maha Shivratri talk with our Astrologer today!
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