Shivaratri

The auspicious festival of Shivaratri is observed with a lot of dedication all across the country but with a little variation in different states, which is probably due to differences in the regions. Shivratri in West Bengal is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm.

The devotees go for a day long fast on Shivratri. The Shiv puja is held at night and the ritual is to bathe the Shiv Linga in milk. In West Bengal, the tradition is to make four Shivlingas, which should ideally be made of a kind of fertile clay. In West Bengal, this kind of clay is found on the banks of the sacred river, Ganga. These four Shiv Lingas are offered one by one during the nightlong puja. The entire night is divided into four equal periods, which are called ‘prahar’. In the first prahar, the Shivalinga is bathed in pure milk. In the second prahar it is dipped in curd, in the third period the Linga is bathed with ghee while in the fourth one it is immersed in honey. After the nightlong puja, the devotees finally break their fast by taking the ‘prasad’.

In some places in the state of West Bengal, the puja of Shivratri is performed mainly in the Shiv temples. Although in many households, Shivratri is observed with a lot of devotion but it is usually without much glamour or grandeur. One should visit a Shiv temple in order to experience the exuberance and the glamour attached to the puja.

Some of the items that are essential for the puja are wood apples and leaves of woodapple. The other necessary things are ‘Akunda Phul’, Aparajita Phul’ and ‘Bhang’.

The sacred temple of Shiv, Tarakeshwar Temple, observes Shivratri with great pomp and grandeur. Devotees and pilgrims make a bare footed journey to the temple and offer prayers with fruits and flowers.