Hindus around the country are gearing up to celebrate Mahashivratri, which falls on 1st March this year. Mahashivratri is one of the most widely celebrated festivals of India, Celebrated in the Hindu month of Phalguna, the festival holds immense significance for devotees of Hindu God Shiva, who is also the God of Destruction as per Hindu belief. On this day, people wake up early, take a bath and throng to temples to seek divine blessings. Pilgrimage sites like Ujjain and Kashi Vishwanath are especially flocked with devotees, who come from far ends of the country to offer their prayers to the Jyotirlingam.
One of the key features of the Mahashivratri Puja is the Mahabhishekam. During this ritual, the Siva Linga is bathed with milk, ghee and water. Milk plays a very crucial role in the festivity, the practice of Mahabhishek on Shivratri may be tied with the Samundra Manthan Episode. In the desire for Amrit (or elixir of life), the devils and the demons churned the ocean, and in the process there was a lot of poison produced, this poison was taken by Lord Shiva to preserve the earth. The poison was so toxic that it turned his throat blue. To offer their gratitude to Lord Shiva for his act and the Devtas performed an Abhishekam for the lord.
What Is Panchamrit? How To Make It For Shivratri?
The significance of milk does not end here, milk is also used to prepare the Panchamrit, the most important Prasad of Mahashivratri or any religious Puja for that matter. The word Panchamrit is made up of two words, ‘Panch’ which means five, and Amrit which means a ‘potion of immortality’. Panchamrit is made of five components that are combined together. All these five ingredients are meant to have a place in the rituals, additionally, they are also supposed to have a calming effect, which is helpful, especially for those who are fasting.
While you can get Panchamrit from shops, since it is so simple to make, why head out? Here is an excellent recipe of Panchamrit that you can try.
Offer the same in your Pujas and then later, distribute it among your family and friends.
If you are fasting this year, here are some snacks you can add to your vrat.
Happy Mahashivratri everybody.
