Maha Shivratri: Tale Of A Marriage That Broke Conventions

Maha Shivratri is celebrated on the Chaturdashi Tithi of Krishna Paksha in Phalgun Month according to the Hindu Lunar Calendar followed in North India. It is an auspicious festival of the Hindu religion and is celebrated across the country with immense enthusiasm. In some places in India, Maha Shivratri is observed as a holiday. This year Maha Shivratri will be celeberated on March 11, 2021. Etymologically, Shivratri means the night of Lord Shiva.

Shivratri is usually celebrated every month but Maha Shivratri is celebrated annually in the month of Phalgun. Read about the types of Shivratri here.

How it is celebrated:

On this day, devotees observe fast and flock to the Lord Shiva’s temple and perform the ritual of Jalabhishek on the shiva ling. As a part of the ritual, devotees offer milk, yoghurt, honey, ghee, sugar and water. They also offer flowers and fruits as Prasad and light diyas and incense sticks. The puja in the temples continues throughout the day and night of Maha Shivratri.
The celebration of Maha Shivratri differs in different states of India. In Southern Karnataka, children are allowed the freedom to indulge in mischief and then apologise and ask for punishment. Whereas in Kerala, the Brahmans celebrate this day as the marriage of Lord Shiva and Parvati and begin the festib=vities 3-4 days earlier. Moreover, not only in India but Maha Shivratri is celebrated in the West Indies also. The country has over 400 temples of Lord Shiva.

On this day unmarried women fast to find a groom like Lord Shiva who is seen as the ideal man. And married women fast for the welfare of their husband and children. But some men too observe this fast for their and their family's welfare.

The Story Behind Maha Shivratri

It is believed that on this day, Lord Shiva appeared in the form of linga and hence the day has been signified as the birth day of Lord Shiva or the Shiva Linga. The Shiva Linga was first worshipped by Lord Vishnu and Brahma and the tradition is being continued till today.

There is another story corroborating the importance of the day. It is believed that on this day during Samudra Manthan (churning of ocean that took place when God and Asuras were at war), Lord Shiva swallowed all the poison and held it in his throat, making it blue. Hence he is addressed as Neelkanth.

Besides, it is also believed that on Shivaratri, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati got married

Watching from the feminist lens:

Everything was just fine with the festival until the introduction of the narrative of marriage. By legitimising worship of God to find a suitable match, the idea of courtship becomes unimportant. It is a very common belief in Indian society that every person comes with a pre-defined match somewhere in the world. But marriage isn’t about seeking a blessing but about building mutual understanding, compatibility and support. And this cannot happen over night and not necessarily with the the chosen partner. And if God or parents decide whom to marry, what about our own agency and choice?

Important to note here that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati's marriage broke conventions. It was a marriage in which a woman proposed her love to the man first. Moreover, Goddess Parvati went against her parents' choice and her lineage to marry a man of her own choice. So isn't the divine couple a symbol of liberal marriage?

Moreover, what has always boggled my mind is the idea of Shiva Linga. If you are not aware then Shiva Linga is basically the penis of Lord Shiva placed in vulva (most probably of Goddess Parvati) which is venerated and worshipped in Hindu religion. In a very simplified form, it is seen as a sign of fertility. But it is only paradoxical when in reality penis or vagina are referred using nicknames (flower, wee wee etc) and sex education is still a taboo. If we truly believe in religion, why not embrace its ideologies of women empowerment, sex and freedom?

This Maha Shivratri, let us embrace Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati as the embodiment of liberal humans with the right to choose.

Find all the dates of the festivals in March 2021 here.

Find all the dates of the festival in year 2021 here.