For some reason, of all the Indian Gods, I have always felt a strong pull towards Lord Shiva right from my childhood... I have felt a special connection with him that is hard to explain. After mummy, He has been my best friend. I used to make Shivlings out of clay in my garden even when I was hardly some 6 years old or so, probably inspired by some Hindu mythological story. I can't explain it but even at that age, I used to feel a strong urge to build shiva linga murtis and worship him. I had placed the shivling under the bael tree. To my luck, we had a bael tree or the "wood apple" tree in our garden when we lived in the official quarter given to us. A bael tree is believed to be Lord Shiva's favourite and that it is under its shade that Shiva sits to meditate.
It was my aunt who got me the Shivling and the nandi - the ones which are being worshipped at my home in Bhubaneswar -, beautifully carved out of stone, when I was still in school. Ever since I moved to Delhi in 2006, I had never been able to perform Mahashivratri puja in Bhubaneswar. It is only today, after almost 11 years, that I could.
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| Mahashivratri |
Om tat purushaya vidmahe, mahadevaya dhimahi, tanno rudra prachodayat
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| Mahashivratri |
As is done every year on Shivratri at our home, our priest came and performed homa or hawan puja, a ritual in which religious offering is made into fire. And with every aahuti of ghee by our priest and the chanting of Shiva gayatri mantra, I was simultaneously offering a bel leaf to Mahadev, placing it on the shivling. 108 bel leaves. That deep sense of peace and contentment that follows after a puja is indescribable.
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| Mahashivratri |
The three eyed God, Shiva is the supreme creator of all and is said to have no origin or end. Therefore He is commonly worshipped in the form of a Shivling. Contrary to the popular belief, the shivling doesn't refer to the male sexual organ per se rather in essence, it symbolizes unchangeability or agelessness, steadiness, strength and endurance - the higher side of masculine values and virtues. He is known by several names, one being "Ashutosh" - one who gets pleased easily through simple but sincere gestures. He is also called Bholenath (or the simple God) for his benevolence and simplicity. A simple offering of water and bael leaves pleases him the most. Arakha flower or the crown flower is also one of his favourite flowers.
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| Mahashivratri |
