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Shivratri or the night of the Shiva is celebrated every month. However, Maha Shivratri, or the great night of lord Shiva is a significant festival of Hinduism. It is celebrated on the Chaturdashi date (the waning phase of the moon in the Hindu calendar) of Phalgun month (the 12th month of the Hindu calendar). Along with holding immense religious and spiritual significance, it is also celebrated as a day of rebirth and victory. In this blog, we will explore when is Maha Shivaratari date 2024, its timings, significance, and more.
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When is Maha Shivaratri 2024?
For those who are wondering when is Maha Shivaratari in 2024, the Maha Shivaratri festival will be observed on March 8. Below we have mentioned detailed information including timings, dates, etc. Moreover, worshipping Lord Shiva is best beneficial when you do it in the Pradosh Kaal, which is why the ideal time to do your puja would be on 8 Mar 2024 itself.
| Maha Shivratri Timeline 2024 | ||
| Start | Mar 8, 2024 | 9:57 PM |
| End | Mar 9, 2024 | 6:17 PM |
| Nishita Kaal Puja Time | Mar 9, 2024 | 12:07 AM – 12:56 AM |
| Shivaratri Parana Time | Mar 9, 2024 | 06:37 AM- 03:29 AM |
Why is Mahashivratri Celebrated?
Now that we know when is Maha Shivaratari date and timings in 2024, let’s move on to why it is celebrated with such enthusiasm across the country. There are many explanations as to why we celebrate Maha Shivratri such as:
- According to popular beliefs, this is the day when Lord Shiva became one with the mountain Kailash. Therefore, he is also called an adi guru which means the guru (Leader/ Teacher) of yoga.
- Moreover, it is also believed that this is the convergence of the two energies- masculine and feminine to promote balance in everything.
- Some people believe that this is the day when Lord Shiva drank vish (poison) during Samundra Manthan (churning of the ocean) and protected the world from darkness hence giving us new life.
Significance of Maha Shivratri
In northern India, Maha Shivratri holds great importance for numerous reasons such as:
- On this day, lord Shiva discontinued his ascetic life by marrying goddess Parvati. Therefore, devotees celebrate this auspicious day as the anniversary of the two united as one.
- It also means that lord Shiva conquered all his enemies to win Mata Parvati. By praying on this day one gets the blessings of good health and wealth.
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How to Celebrate Shivratri?
Here are the most common ways to celebrate this Shivaratari and seek blessings for yourself and your family:
- Devotees wake up in the morning and take a holy bath to cleanse themselves.
- They clean their homes and wear new clothes for holy rituals.
- One of the key ways to celebrate Maha Shivratri is to fast the whole day. People can eat only fruits and drink milk. Wake up in the Brahma hour and bow to the Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati to begin your day right.
- All the temples on this precious day witness devotees dedicating at least an hour in the temple starting from the early morning hours.
- In religious places, people do pujas of the lingam (Idol worshipping) followed by plunging in the holy water of the Ganga river.
- People also chant “Om Namah Shivaye”, the holy mantra throughout the day to seek the lord’s blessings.
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FAQ
There are many stories behind why we celebrate Maha Shivratri, the most common is the marriage of the lord Shiva and Mata Parvati.
It is the convergence of the feminine and masculine power of Shiv and Shakti, which explains the balance in everything.
The deep meaning of Mahashivratri is to overcome darkness and ignorance and embrace the beginnings.
To mark the holy union of the goddess and the god, we celebrate the victory over all evils on this day. Moreover, people also worship lord shiva and goddess Parvati to seek their blessings.
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