Mahashivaratri a Nepali National Festival

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Mahashivaratri today

Devotees throng Pashupati area

"The festival which is regarded as a national festival, consists of

warming Lord Shiva in the belief that the Lord also feels cold on

this day and people organize bonfires at public squares, houses,

temples and shrines and perform prayers."

 

RSS

KATHMANDU, Feb. 26: Hindu devotees all over the Kingdom today

celebrate the great festival of Mahashivaratri by worshipping Lord

Shiva at various rivers, ponds and temples since early morning.

 

Shivaratri, thought to be the day on which Lord Shiva was born, is

one of the four nights known as kalaratri, moharatri, sukharatri and

shivaratri, and is regarded as one of the greatest festivals in the

Holy Scriptures or Puranas.

 

This day is celebrated on the fourteenth day of the lunar month of

Falgun and is believed to instill faith in those destined to live in

trouble.

 

The Skanda Purana also mentions the importance of Shivaratri. The

religious belief is that if one offers milk, dhaturo (a kind of

intoxicating plant) and ?belpatra? to Lord Shiva and observes a

sleepless fast for the day, one will receive heavenly blessings.

 

The festival which is regarded as a national festival, consists of

warming Lord Shiva in the belief that the Lord also feels cold on

this day and people organize bonfires at public squares, houses,

temples and shrines and perform prayers.

 

Four kinds of worship including Mahadip, Akhandadip, Lakshya Batti

and Dipotsav as well as offering of Belpatra will be performed in

four phases tonight, while classical dances are performed at the

Kailashkut and Kirateswor Music Ashram.

 

In Kathmandu, thousands of devotees from within and outside the

country, predominantly from India, throng the Pashupatinath temple

from early morning and queue up for hours for a darshan of Lord

Shiva.

 

According to Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT), arrangements

have been made to provide security, lodging, food, medical and

communication facilities to the visiting devotees.

http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/pageloader.php?

file=2006/02/26//topstories/main8