New Delhi, February 15: The sacred festival of Maha Shivratri, dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, unfolds today amid profound devotion and spiritual fervor. This auspicious day commemorates the divine union of Shiva and Parvati, a celestial wedding steeped in mythology that continues to captivate devotees worldwide.
Ancient scriptures paint a vivid picture of Shiva’s extraordinary wedding procession. The groom himself, Mahadev, appeared in his iconic form: serpents draped as jewelry, ashes smeared across his body, damaru and trishul in hand, mounted majestically on his bull Nandi. What made this baraat truly otherworldly was its composition—not just gods and goddesses, but a throng of ghosts, ghouls, spirits, and bizarre ganas.
The sight of this unearthly entourage left Parvati’s family in shock. Her kin and the wedding party stood stunned, some fainting at the surreal spectacle. Puranas like the Shiva Mahapurana and Ramcharitmanas detail how Shiva’s ganas defied normalcy: faceless beings, multi-eyed creatures, multi-limbed figures, some obese, others skeletal, accompanied by snakes, scorpions, and wild beasts.
So immense was this procession that the Earth’s axis reportedly tilted under its weight. To restore balance, Shiva dispatched Sage Agastya southward. As the baraat reached the Himalayas, Brahma and Vishnu led the way. Parvati’s mother, Mainavati, attempted a welcome but collapsed in fear upon seeing Shiva’s fearsome form and his eerie followers. Villagers recoiled in terror, women fled in panic.
Mainavati even blamed sage Narada for the ordeal. Yet Parvati remained unshaken, her love unwavering. The wedding proceeded in Vedic rites, symbolizing eternal harmony. On Maha Shivratri, devotees perform Shiva Lingam abhishek with milk and water, offer belpatra, fast rigorously, and stay awake in jagran, reciting tales of this divine marriage to invite prosperity and peace.
This festival transcends ritual; it’s a reminder of embracing the unconventional beauty in divinity. As night falls, temples resonate with chants, ensuring Shiva’s blessings dispel life’s troubles and usher in serenity.