The Hindu festival of Maha Shivaratri (Great Night of Lord Shiva), dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva, will be celebrated across the world on Tuesday, February 13, 2018.
Maha Shivaratri is observed on the 13th night/14th day of the 11th Hindu month of Phalguna or Maagh every year. The day signifies the defeat of ignorance and darkness.
Hindu devotees will be celebrating the auspicious day by fasting and offering special prayers to Lord Shiva, the God of destruction.
On the occasion of this festival, television celebrities like Yuvika Chaudhary, Tejasswi Prakash and others talk about the significance of Lord Shiva in their lives.
Yuvika Chaudhary: The fact that a great mass of heterogeneous cults and practices came to be associated with Lord Shiva suggests that in his unlimited wisdom and boundless love as a world teacher and father of all, Lord Shiva gives immense freedom to his followers to choose whatever path they want to follow for their self-realization. And I am experiencing it.
Tejasswi Prakash: To the connoisseurs of art, Shiv is well known as Nataraja, master of all dance forms. As the perfect Yogi, he is credited as the source of all knowledge concerning the various yogas. Such is his prowess and divinity that Lord Vishnu in his incarnations as Rama and Krishna, worshipped him with great reverence. Whenever I'm insecure about anything, the "Om Namah Shivaye" mantra helps me out.
Kunal Jaisingh: Shiva is the creator and the destroyer. Many demons like Ravana and Bhasmasur were his ardent followers, to whom he gave several boons out of his unbound love, and in the process invited great trouble upon himself. Ever willing to help those who are in distress, he saved the worlds and all the gods by consuming Halahal during the churning of the oceans. I am a big follower of Mahadev.
Aly Goni: An uncontrolled mind can lead one to live a disastrous life. You cannot win your targets when you lose focus and fall prey to your desires and addictions. Therefore, it's necessary to keep your mind aligned with your goals and heart too. Lord Shiva is the god of meditation. I feel he inspires me to be focused. I am a big devotee of Shiva.
Arshi Khan: I am a blessed devotee of Lord Shiva and everything about him is worth getting inspired. His third eye symbolizes that we should not always believe that we see until we are able to see it through our mind's eye. Similarly, his Trishul symbolizes controlling our ego, mind and intellectual self.
