Maha Shivratri 2020: Why auspicious for women; date, mahurat

New Delhi, Feb 18: The pious and mostly celebrated festival of Maha Shivratri is round the corner, and the devotees of Lord Shiv are all waiting to celebrate it. This year Maha Shivratri falls on 21st February, and as Lord Shiv is worshiped mostly during night on the day of Maha Shivratri, so the 'Nishita Kaal puja' time is 12:09 am (Feb 21) to 12:58 am (Feb 22).

Shivratri is one of the biggest festival of Hindus, devotees of Lord Shiva's on this day throng to various Shiv temples across the country to offer their prayers to the Lord.
Shivaratri is great festival of convergence of Shiv and Shakti. It is celebrated every year on the 13th night or 14th day of the Maagha or Phalguna month, as per the Hindu calendar.

A day before Shivratri devotees eat only one time. On Shivratri day devotees take 'Sankalp' (pledge) to observe full day fast on Shiv Ratri. Devotees also take bath twice, in the morning and evening before doing Shiv Puja or visiting Shiv temple.

Shiv puja is mostly done during night. The ardent devotees keep awake all night lighting diyas (earthen lamps).

On this day, devotees circumambulate the Shiv lingam and worship it by bathing every three hours with the sacred things, these are- cow milk, curd, cow urine, butter, sacred cow dung, ghee and honey.

Then they offer special fruits and flowers before the lingam. These are- Dhatura fruit and flower, Bell fruit and leaves.

Devotees break the fast on the next morning, after the nightlong worship.

The Maha Shivratri festival is also considered as an extremely significant festival for women. It is believed that unmarried women who desires for lifepartener pray for a husband like Lord Shiva who is regarded as the ideal husband and symbolises Shakti (strenght).

In India both men and women everyone performs fast and worship the Lord of power, Shiv.