Over A Lakh People From 50 Countries joined Mahashivratri Celebrations with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The magic of one lakh people meditating together, accompanied by vibrations of sacred chants, the sound of cymbals, drums and devotional music filled the air at the pristine, colourful and lit-up Art of Living International Center as over one lakh devotees from 50 countries gathered to celebrate the occasion of Maha Shivratri.
The celebrations started with Rudram chanting, meditation and music in the evening. The culmination of the ceremonies will happen with Rudra Homa at 4 AM on the 22 February. Prasadam was served all day long for over a lac people at the centre's ISO certified mega kitchen.
'Three types of peace needed: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar'
Throwing light on the significance of the festival, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, "Three types of peace are needed; one is material peace, peace in your environment, body and mind and is peace in the soul. Shivaratri is transcendental, divine consciousness which brings solace to all the three layers."
He further added, "Shivaratri is one of the most significant days to meditate and come in touch with the deepest aspect of our consciousness. It is associated with India but the phenomenon is universal and that is why so many people from all over the world come here to experience it."
Rudra Puja, an ancient Vedic ceremony
The celebration was marked by Rudra Puja, an ancient Vedic ceremony, chants and meditation in around 200 locations of 22 states in the country. Lakhs of people from across the world joined the Maha Shivratri celebrations live exclusively on the Elements app as well as on various regional television.
The evening also witnessed the launch of Saregama Mini Caravan with exclusive Art of Living content including 400+ wisdom talks by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, chants, bhajans & meditation.
