Maha Shivaratri – A Love Story
Today is the long night of Shiva, known as the Maha Shivaratri in India. This is either the anniversary of Shiva’s marriage of the anniversary of the day he gave us the Tandava, the madly perfect dance of creation and destruction that has been preserved throughout countless cosmic centuries.
Shiva is the God of the times. He is a god who howled and loved like tomorrow didn’t exist, who had his heart broken a hundred times when Sati burst into flames. A God who danced at funerals got stoned and forgave even the most hideous self-serving sinful lifetime for one act of perfect devotion.He is the god of destruction, his breath is in the flower just past praying, the gap between life and death. He swallows the poison of the world and is attended by witches and ghouls, destruction does not discriminate.
After the sudden and shocking death of my own husband, Shiva felt a lot closer to my heart than Hosanna on high. I set out on a search to reveal the hidden mystery of Shiva, a journey that became the story of my life but which began in a small way, I would ask locals for their favourite story of Shiva. The biggest delight was to watch as people step into the role of the God they were portraying. Effortlessly and in true story teller style they would slip between narration and participation with others on the side line adding to the tale. It was street theatre at it’s very best.
Here is one of my favourite tales of Shiva as told to me in a small chai shop in the outskirts of a Rajasthan village with a whole lot of people joining in and building to the tale.
Then Parvatti left the palace in the mountain kingdom and dressed herself in the bark of a tree. She meditated for years in the forest, performing many heat generating austerities to win Shiva’s attention.
After a thousand years and some heavy intervention by the gods of love and desire, including Indra himself, Shiva’s heart melted. He fell in love with the most devoted of his devotees and the marriage was arranged. When the day of the wedding arrived, there were great celebrations in the mountain kingdom. All the gods in heaven were present in their many aspects. They made a glittering sight as they marched across the celestial world to the wedding venue which had been especially constructed by the same architect who had built heaven. Parvatti, as beautiful as the dew on a mountain range and anointed in oils, stood at her window with her mother, Meena, and watched the wedding guests arrive. “How gorgeous!” said Meena when she saw a golden figure arrive, as handsome as the day, riding a white elephant and accompanied by a chorus of heavenly dancers and musicians. “That is Indra, king of the heavens,” said Parvatti. “Shiva must be even more beautiful then,” said Meena. “He is to those who love him,” said Parvatti with a secret smile. Mena waited a long time for a glimpse of her son in law. Eventually just as evening was about to set in, a roar arose from the outskirts of the kingdom. Shiva had arrived! A savage swarm of goblins and witches, trolls and demons, lunatics with heads swivelling three hundred and sixty degrees all of them wildly intoxicated and behaving outrageously surrounded a beggar riding on a white bull. He was dressed in a tiger skin, smeared with ashes, his hair matted into filthy locks and he was obviously just as intoxicated as his hideous attendants. Mena could hardly believe her eyes. She motioned to the guards to remove this clown before the groom arrived in all his divine glory. “Shiva!” cried Parvatti, her face luminous with love. Meena felt as if she had been slapped. Promptly renaming her daughter Uma (Oh No!), she ordered the palace gates slammed shut in Shiva’s face and declared the marriage “Off.” Parvatti prayed to Shiva to appear as the groom everyone wanted to see and the next day he appeared as a golden skinned youth dripping words of honey to his mother in law. “Did they live happily ever after?” I ask. “Shiva is Shiva and Parvatti is Shakti. It is necessary that they fight and make love in equal balance,” explains a man. My first clue, Shiva is the Shamanic god of the heart that is wild and free. But to find him, one must endure fire.” ============Quick Facts : Maha Shivratri
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Existem muitas lendas mitológicas associadas a este dia. De acordo com uma lenda popular, quando um caçador não poderia encontrar qualquer coisa para matar a sua comida em uma floresta , ele esperou no galho de uma árvore Woodapple . Para atrair veados , ele começou a jogar as folhas da árvore no chão , sem saber que havia um Shiva Lingam debaixo da árvore . Satisfeito com as folhas Woodapple ea paciência do caçador, acredita-se que o Senhor Shiva apareceu na frente do caçador e abençoou-o com sabedoria. Daquele dia em diante , o caçador parou de comer carne. Outra lenda diz que após a Terra foi confrontado com uma destruição iminente, deusa Parvati se comprometeu com o Senhor Shiva para salvar o mundo . Satisfeito com suas orações , o Senhor Shiva concordou para salvar o mundo , sob o pretexto de que o povo da Terra teria que adorá-lo com dedicação e paixão. A partir desse dia , a noite veio a ser conhecido como Maha Shivratri e as pessoas começaram adorando Shiva com um grande entusiasmo. Alguns folclore também consideram que este é dia de Shiva como esta se acreditava ser a resposta dada por Lord Shiva , quando perguntado sobre o seu dia favorito deusa Parvati . Maha Shivratri é um festival hindu , que é celebrada por pessoas que seguem o hinduísmo na Índia. As pessoas muitas vezes rápidos na noite de Shivratri e cantam hinos e louvores em nome do Senhor Shiva . Templos hindus em todo o país estão decorados com luzes e decorações coloridas e as pessoas podem ser vistos oferecendo a noite orações a Shiva Lingam . Folhas Woodapple , água fria e leite são oferecidos ao Shiva Lingam neste dia , pois acredita-se ser o favorito de Lord Shiva. Acredita-se que as pessoas que rapidamente nesta noite e oferecer orações ao Senhor Shiva trazer boa sorte em sua vida . Os mais populares celebrações Maha Shivratri lugar em Ujjain, acredita-se ser o local de residência do Senhor Shiva. Grandes procissões são realizadas em toda a cidade , com as pessoas lotando as ruas para ter um vislumbre do ídolo venerado do Senhor Shiva . | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maha Shivratri Observances | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
India holidays celebrated in year 2014
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sábado, 25 de janeiro de 2014
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