Wishesh Magazine February 2020 Wishesh Magazine February 2020 | Page 111

2. Saviour Of The World
One day a terrible sign of danger arose and
attacked planet Earth, as the planet was
on the verge of being destroyed, the only
person who could save the world was Lord
Shiva.
Goddess Parvati offered prayers to Lord
Shiva and he agreed to save the planet
only if people worshipped him. Thereon,
people started to worship Lord Shiva and
he accepted Goddess Parvati’s request to
save the planet. This day is remembered and
celebrated as Shivratri today.
How Is Shivratri Celebrated?
Maha Shivratri is one of the main festivals
for all the Hindu North and South Indians.
Temples on this day are beautifully
decorated to make Lord Shiva happy.
On this day, people worship Lord Shiva’s
lingam. They offer water, leaves, and milk.
People express their devotion and love by
fasting all night for Lord Shiva. In addition
to this, a few devotees won’t practice
these rituals but they live by their ethics and
conduct themselves as better human beings.
This festival is most popularly celebrated in
Ujjain, as this was where Lord Shiva lived.
People participate in processions on the
street, carrying Lord Shiva’s Idol.
Lord Shiva had engaged himself in dancing
and expressed creation, preservation, and
destruction through his dance.
This culture is carried out even now, dance
performances are conducted in temples like
Konark, Khajuraho, Chidambaram and a few
others.
On Shivratri day, besides fasting, people
FEBRUARY 2020 | WWW.WISHESH.NET