folio line HOLY DAYS THAT AMERICA’S HINDUS CELEBRATE s. rajam Mahasivaratri Siva’s Great Night ablutions,” and thus many temples and home shrines have water always dripping on the ahasivaratri is the most important festival dedicated to Lord Sivalinga. On this special night, Sivalingas are Siva. This holy day is observed by millions of Hindus all over bathed with special substances, sometimes the world. It is one of Hinduism’s most esoteric holy days, several times. Mahasivaratri occurs on the M night before the new moon in February/March. when yoga practices, mantras and meditation take the devotee closer to God’s essence within the core of himself. Hindus typically fast, What is the Kumbha Mela? maintain silence and stay up all night to perform spiritual practices, The Kumbha Mela is a grand festival held ev- such as worshiping, chanting and singing. In some regions, devotees ery few years in rotation at four places where visit as many Siva temples as they can on this night. sacred rivers converge: Haridwar, Prayag, Nasik and Ujjain. The largest melas, at Haridwar and Prayag, fall in January to April and often in- clude Mahasivaratri. Devotees come from near hinduism today Who is Siva? Siva, the supreme yogi, who is both the guide and far to immerse themselves in the holy wa- For hundreds of millions of Hindus Siva is and the goal of the search. Staying awake ters, with prayers for purifi cation and spiritual Fasting & Silence the Supreme Being, the absolute One God through the night is a sacrifi ce and a break liberation on their lips. In 2001, the Kumbha who both transcends creation and pervades from life’s normal routine, a time out of time Mela at Prayag, held on the river bank, was at- While virtually every Hindu festival it—thus existing as our own innermost es- to be with God within, to reach for the realiza- tended by more than 60 million people.It was comes with a sumptuous list of foods sence. Siva is the powerful Deity whose ener- tion of our true, immortal Self. Siva is known the biggest human gathering held on Earth, to feast on, during Mahasivaratri most getic dance creates, sustains and dissolves the as Abhisheka Priya, “He who loves sacred seven times the population of New York City. Hindus fast. A spiritual practice found universe in endless cycles. He is the master in almost all of the world’s religions, yogi delving into unfathomable mysteries, the fasting calms the physical, mental supreme ascetic, the prime mystic, the Light and emotional energies, helping the behind all light, the Life within all life. Siva devotee draw nearer to the ineffable is often called Mahadeva, “Great Being of Self within. While the most strict fast Light,” for He created other, lesser Gods such on nothing but water; others permit as Ganesha and Karttikeya. Although Siva is themselves fruits, milk or rice. usually depicted as male, in reality God and the Gods are beyond gender and form, as Many observe silence on this night, depicted by His half-male, half-female form, thinking of nothing but God. Silence, Ardhanarishvara. Parvati, regarded as Siva’s known in Sanskrit as mauna, quiets consort in village Hinduism, is mystically un- the demands of the mind and body, derstood as His manifest energy, inseparable bringing forth spiritual clarity. from Him. The ancient Tirumantiram scrip- ture says of Siva, “Himself creates. Himself In Hinduism, God is not separate from preserves. Himself destroys. Himself conceals. creation. A virtuous life and certain Himself all of this He does and then grants techniques, such as yoga and ascetic liberation—Himself the all-pervading Lord.” practices, allow a person to remove the veil that makes us think of ourselves as What happens on Mahasivaratri? separate from Him. Many Hindus perform an all-night vigil, www.dinodia.com plunging the soul into its own essence, led by w Tidbits About God Siva FACT: Hindus undergo numerous What is the special off ering to Siva? the unmanifested Absolute. Sivalingas are commonly traditional rites of passage at critical Hindus believe that offering bilva leaves (Aegle made of stone, but may also be of metal, precious junctures throughout life. These marmelos) on Mahasivaratri is most auspicious. gems, crystal, wood, earth or even transitory materials ceremonies invoke divine blessings Legend tells of a hunter who was chased by a like sand or ice. Ardent devotees make special Sivalin- tiger. Scrambling up a thorny tree, he plucked gas to worship during Mahasivaratri. for the individual and help bind him with his community as he advances and dropped its leaves to stay alert. The tree Is there a special mantra for Siva? Namah was a bilva, The leaves happened to fall on a on the path of virtue. Name-giving, Sivaya is among the foremost Vedic mantras. It means fi rst feeding, commencement of Sivalinga, and it was the night of Sivaratri. That “adoration to Siva” and is called the Panchakshara, or learning, coming of age, marriage and all-night worship of God, though inadvertent, “fi ve-letters.” The fi ve elements, too, are embodied in earned the hunter liberation from rebirth. Siva this ancient formula for invocation. Na is earth, Ma is cremation are primary examples. accepts devotees irrespective of their faults and water, Si is fi re, Va is air, and Ya is ether, or space. FICTION: It is commonly believed foibles, forgiving man’s cognizant and innocent that rituals are mandatory. In fact, mistakes. What is holy ash? Holy ash is a sacrament that is dear to devotees of Siva. Taken from sacred fi res, there are no absolute requirements What is the Sivalinga? Linga means it purifi es and blesses those who wear it. This fi ne, within Hinduism. Each devotee is “mark, token or sign.” A Siva linga, represent- white powder is worn on the forehead as a reminder free to practice his faith according ing Siva, is found in virtually all of His temples. of the temporary nature of the physical body and the to his family tradition and personal The Sivalinga is the simplest and most ancient urgency to strive for spiritual attainment and close- preferences. symbol of the Divine. It is especially evocative ness to God. of Parasiva, God beyond all forms and qualities, hinduism today This educational poster is part of Hindu Festival Outreach, a collaboration between Sanatana Dharma Foundation of Texas and HINDUISM TODAY magazine in Hawaii. Additional resources may be found at www.hinduismtoday.com/FestivalMedia. Soumya Sitaram and Usha Krishnaswami, author and photographer of Following the Hindu Moon, generously contributed text and graphics with permission from their book's publisher, Random House of India (www.randomhouse.co.in). .