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of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati:
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Another
popular belief is that Mahashivratri is actually the celebration
to mark the holy union of Lord Shiva and Parvati on this
day.
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On
the day of Mahashivratri, celebrations take place in
all the Shiva temples across India. The Shivlingam is
bathed with the five sacred offerings of a cow, called
the panchagavya - milk, sour milk, urine, butter
and dung. Thereafter the five foods of immortality -
milk, clarified butter, curd, honey and sugar - are
placed before the Shivlingam. Dhatura and Jati, though
poisonous fruits, are believed to be sacred to Shiva
and thus offered at his temple.
Devotees
celebrate the day by observing a fast during the day
and offer prayers through out the night. Some people
do not consume even a drop of water.
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The
celebration differs from place to place. For example in
Kashmir, unlike other places where Mahashivratri is only
a daylong celebration, here the festival lasts for weeks.
In the Kashmiri language, the festival is also known as
Herath. The festival extends to about three weeks in Kashmiri
Pandit households. Social performances are a regular feature
in this part of the country on the occasion of Mahashivratri.
During the first week they clean their homes. The second
week is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. On the 13th
night they worship Shiva and Parvati (also called Shakti)
After the fast and worship, prasad is taken around
mid-night. The next day is also observed as a day of worship
and feast.
Although
Mahashivratri is celebrated across the country at all Shiva
temples, here are two of the better known temples.
The
Shiv Khodi temple in the state of Jammu and Kashmir
houses the largest natural Shivlingam on Earth. Pure water
drips on this natural Shivling from the ceiling, continuously.
On the Mahashivratri day, milk drips onto the Shivling.
This mysterious flow of water and milk never stops and till
date its origin has not been known.
Shiv
Khodi, is located in district Udhampur of Jammu and Kashmir
state of India. It is 114 km from Jammu city and 84 km from
Katra, which is the base camp of Ma (Goddess) Vaishno Devi
Shrine in the state.
Thal
Kedar 16 km from the eastern most hill district of Uttar
Pradesh, Pithoragarh is another place to visit. Pithoragarh
is connected by air by Naini Saini airport, which is 5 km
away. The nearest railhead is Tanakpur, which is 151 km
away.
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