Shivaratri Myths

There are numerous myths regarding the origin of Shivaratri. Most of the stories of Shivratri can be traced to the Puranas. A few important legends are detailed below. It must be noted that almost all the myths happened during night and this is one of the reason for celebrating Shivaratri during night.

Myth of Shivratri based on Vishnu and Brahma searching for the origin of Linga

Lord Vishnu and Brahma wanted to know who was superior and this led to a fight. Lord Shiva intervened and said whoever can find out the origin or end of Shivling is superior. Lord Shiva appeared before them in the form of a huge pillar of fire. Lord Vishnu went down searching and Brahma went up searching. Both traveled and traveled but never met the beginning or end.

After the futile search, Lord Vishnu and Brahma prayed to Shiva and appeared before them in the form of Jyotirlinga and this day of the appearance of Lord Shiva is celebrated as Shivratri.

The Story of Shivaratri based on Samudra Manthan

This is a famous legend on Shivaratri and happened during the churning of ocean by Devas and Asuras to get ‘Amrit.’ While churning the ocean, highly toxic poison came out and Lord Vishnu asked the ‘devas’ and ‘asuras’ to approach Lord Shiva. He agreed immediately to help them and drank the poison. In order the poison to have no effect, Lord Shiva should not sleep. So the ‘devas’ and ‘asuras’ kept praying the whole night. Pleased with the devotion Lord Shiva said ‘whoever worships me on this day will get their wishes fulfilled.’

The story of Mahashivratri and the fall of ketaki flower

This myth is similar to the appearance of the Jyotirlinga legend. Brahma went up searching for the end of the Jyotirlinga and Vishnu went down. Brahma after traveling for a while saw a ketaki flower (screw pine) dangling down. He stopped his search and took the flower and returned to Lord Shiva. Vishnu too came back soon and expressed his inability to find the beginning. But Brahma said he found the ketaki flower atop the Jyotirlinga and ketki supported it. Lord Shiva became furious and cursed ketki flower that it will not be offered in worship.

The story of Shivratri based on hunter unknowingly dropping Bilva leaves on Lingam

There once lived a tribal hunter who was a Shiva devotee. One day he lost his way while hunting and was trapped in the forest at night. Soon wild animals started to gather around him and he climbed a Bel or Bilva tree. In order to keep himself awake, he started plucking Bilva leaves and dropped it down repeating ‘Om Namah Shivaya.’ In the morning, he discovered that he had been dropping the leaves on a Shivling. And the word spread that he was saved by Lord Shiva. People started celebrating the day as Shivratri. The story is mentioned in Mahabharata by Bhismha while on the bed of arrows. The hunter was born as King Chitra bhanu who could remember his previous births. And he discussed the importance of Shivaratri with a sage.

Apart from these myths, it is said that the reunion of Lord Shiva and Parvati happened on the Shivratri day. Another legend states that Lord Shiva performed the Taandava on this day.

Sources: http://www.hindu-blog.com/2007/02/shivaratri-myths.html

Deities: Lord Shiva
Location: ½ km from Ellora Caves, Maharashtra
Built in: 18th Century
Built By: Queen Ahilyabai Holkar
Significance: Enshrines one of the twelve Jyotirlingas in India
Best time to visit: October to March
STD Code: 0240

Grishneshwar temple, built by Rani Ahillyabai Holkar (a Maratha princess) this important Hindu pilgrim place located in the village of Verul, near Ellora caves. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India, where Lord Shiva is worshipped. It is the most superb example of medieval temple architecture. This Jyotirlinga is said to be self – oriented. It is the last Jyotirlinga without which the journey to the Jyotirlingas is considered incomplete. The temple walls are richly sculptured. Queen Ahilyabai Holkar, who ruled Indore from 1765 to 1795, built both the temple and its masonry tank.

Giant banyan trees, whose innumerable epiphytic roots possess an almost sculptural beauty, flank the road from Aurangabad to Ghrishneshwar. A little under an hour after we leave Aurangabad, the temple stands before us on a bowl of flat land fringed by ancient basaltic hills in the distance. Devotees duck under a low door in the boundary wall to enter the last among India’s revered Jyotirlinga shrines.

This Shiva temple is rich, with beautiful carvings and is a fine example of medieval architecture. The temple is made of spotted red sandstone. Decorative friezes and sculpture depict a pantheon of Indian gods including Brahma, Vishnu, Ganesh, the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, celestial beings, and even Maratha heroes.

The temple is managed by a trust. Arti (prayer) is carried out at dawn and dusk here, accompanied by drums and horns. Poor people are fed once a day. Sheds are provided along the wall for resting. Hundreds of devotees come here every day, while this number goes to thousands on Mondays. While entering the Gabhara (the chamber where Shiva Linga resides) men have to take off their tops.

Legend:
The emergence of linga is explained in the Shivapurana. On a mountain named Devagiri, lived a Brahmin – Brahmavetta Sudharm along with his wife Sudeha, teaching Vedas. The couple did not have children because of which Sudeha was sad and would often pray for a child. After trying all the possible remedies she got her sister Ghushma married to her husband by force. She would serve Sudharm along with Ghushma her sister.

On advice by her sister Ghushma used to make 101 lingas and worship them. In the lake, near by, the Lingas were discharged. With Lord Shiva’s blessings she was blessed with a beautiful fortunate baby boy. Because of this, Ghushma became proud and Sudeha started feeling jealous towards her sister. Out of jealously, one night she killed Ghushma’s son and threw him in the lake where Ghushma used to discharge the lingas.

The next day Ghushma’s daughter-in-law saw stains of blood of her husband on the bed. She also noticed parts of the body drenched in blood and was horrified and came to her mother-in-law, crying and told her everything. Ghushma was absorbed in worshipping Shiva and did not deter. Even her husband Sudharma did not move an inch. When Ghushma saw the bed drenched in blood she did not break down, instead said, “He who has given me this child shall protect him”, and started chanting the name of Lord reciting Shiva continuously.

When she went to discharge the Shivalingas after prayers she saw her son coming. Seeing her son she was neither happy nor sad. Pleased with her devotion, Lord Shiva appeared before her and said – “I am pleased with your devotion. Your sister had killed your son”. Ghushma prostrated before Shiva and asked Him to forgive Sudeha and emancipate her. Lord Shiva asked her another boon. Ghushma said that if he was really happy with her devotion then he should reside there eternally for the benefit of the multitudes in form of a Jyotirlinga and may He be known by her name. On her sincere request He manifested in the form of a Jyotirlinga and assumed the name Ghushmeshwar. There are various versions of the name itself, such as Kusumeswara Jyotirlinga, Grushmeswara Jyotirlinga and Grishneswara Jyotirlinga.

Architecture:
Fine architecture and great artistry of stone carvers characterize this impressive structure. The Shivlinga resides inside the inner chamber of the temple. Outside this chamber a large statue of Nandi is present. Covering Nandi is the Sabha Mandap of the temple. It occupies the major portion of the temple and offers seats made from stone. Various tales can be seen carved on the pillars of the Sabha Mandap. These carvings feature fine details and notable artistic ability. The exterior walls of the temple are full of various carvings.

Several mythological tales are carved here. Amongst these the statues showing ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu stand out. The conical top of the temple, which was probably built later, also has carvings with fine details. The figures here are masterfully carved and possess very expressive gestures. The temple has a gilded crest made of copper. Resting inside a square shaped ground, having pavement and a surrounding stonewall, and the Ghrishneshwar temple is a fine example of ancient building work.

Festival:
Devotees of Hindu rush to the place during Maha Shivratri to get blessings since it enshrines a jyotirlinga. The best time to visit Grishneshwar is during the Maha Shivratri.

Almost unceasingly various ceremonies are carried out from visiting devotees, a number of Pujaris (men of god, who say prayers for you) could be found at hand.

Other Attraction:
Aurangabad Caves
Bibi – Ka – Maqbara
Pan Chakki
Daulatabad
Khuldabad
Pithalkora
Paithan
Bani Begum Garden

How to reach:
by Air: The nearest airport is the Aurangabad airport, 10 kms from the city centre. Have a regular flight to/from Mumbai.
by Rail: The city is easily accessible by rail from major cities of the country. Regular trains are available on South Central Railway to reach Aurangabad.
by Road: Aurangabad can also be reached by well maintained roads. The distances of some of the major cities of the state from Aurangabad are given below.

Kashi Vishwanath temple is one of the most famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is in the holy city of Varanasi, India. The temple stands on the western bank of Hinduism’s holiest river Ganges, and the deity is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas the holiest of Shiva deities. The main deity is known by the name Vishwanatha or Vishweshwara meaning the Ruler of the universe. The temple town that claims to be the oldest living city in the world, with 3500 years of documented history is also called Kashi and hence the temple is popularly called as Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Due to this 15.5m high golden spire, the temple is sometimes called as the Golden Temple, similar to the Sikh Gurudwara at Amritsar.

The temple has been in Hindu mythology for a very long time and a central part of worship in the Shaiva philosophy. The original temple has not yet been found and due to invasions, the temple has been destroyed and rebuit a number of times. The current structure is believed to have been built by Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore in 1780. Since 1983, the temple is being managed by Govt. of Uttar Pradesh. During the religious occasion of Shivratri, Kashi Naresh is the chief officiating priest and no other person or priest is allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum. It is only after he performs his religious functions that others are allowed to enter.

Name: Kashi Vishwanath Mandir.
Creator: Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar
Date built: 1780
Primary deity: Vishwanath (Shiva)
Architecture: Mandir
Location: Varanasi
Website : http://www.shrikashivishwanath.org/

History of Temple
The Shiva temple is believed to have been there in the site for thousands of years, as mentioned in old scriptures. The Mughal emperor Akbar allowed the temple to be constructed but his great-grandson, the Islamic ruler Aurangzeb ordered its demolition in 1669 and constructed Gaynvapi Mosque, which still exists alongside the temple.

This mosque has minarets towering 71 metres above the Ganges River and the traces of the old temple can be seen behind the mosque. The temple spire and the dome are plated with 1000 kg of gold donated by the mighty Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Punjab, in 1835.

The Temple Structure
The well in the templeThe temple complex consists of a series of smaller shrines, located in a small lane called the Vishwanatha Galli, near the river. The linga the main deity at the shrine is 60 cm tall and 90 cm in circumference housed in a silver altar. There are small temples for kal BHAIRO, Dhandapani, Avimukteshwara, Vishnu, Vinayaka, Sanishwara, Virupaksha and Virupaksh Gauri in the complex. There is a small well in the temple called the Jnana Vapi (the wisdom well) and it is believed that the Jytorlinga was hidden in the well to protect it at the time of invasion. It is said that the main deity of the temple had jumped in the well with the Shiv Ling in order to protect the (Jyoti-r)Ling from the invaders.

Importance of the Temple
The temple is widely recognized as one of the most important places of worship in Hindu religion and most of the leading Hindu saints, including Adi Sankaracharya, Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, Goswami Tulsidas, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Gurunanak have visited this site [5]. A visit to the temple and a bath in the river Ganga is believed to lead one on a path to Moksha (liberation). Thus, people from all over the nation, try to visit the place at least once in their lifetime. There is also a tradition that one should give up at least one desire after a pilgrimage the temple, and the pilgrimage would also include a visit to the temple at Rameswaram in South India, where people take the water samples of Ganga to perform prayer at the temple and bring back the sand from near that temple. Due to the immense popularity and holiness of this temple, hundreds of temples across the nation have been built with the same style and architecture.

Ramanathaswamy Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in the island of Rameswaram in the state of Tamilnadu, India. According to Shaiva mythology, Lord Rama is believed to have prayed to Lord Shiva here to absolve any sins that he might have committed during his war against the demon king Ravana. The temple along with Viswanathaswamy temple, Varanasi is one of the holiest Hindu shrines that has to be visited in one’s lifetime and is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas the holy abodes of Shiva.

Name:
Ramanathaswamy Thirukoil

Creator:
Pandya kings

Date built:
unknown

Primary deity:
Ramanathaswamy (Lord Shiva, Rama)

Architecture:
Dravidian architecture

Location:
Rameswaram, Tamilnadu

Temple structure
Like all ancient temples in South India, there is a high compound wall (madil) on all four sides of the temple premises measuring about 865 feet furlong from east to west and one furlongs of 657 feet from north to south with huge towers (Gopurams) at the east and west and finished gate towers on the north and south. The temple has striking long corridors in its interior, running between huge colonnades on platforms above five feet high.

The junction of the third corridor on the west and the paved way leading from the western gopuram to Setumadhava shrine forms a unique structure in the form of chess board and it is popularly known as Chokkattan Madapam where the Utsva deities are adorned and kept during the Vasntotsavam (Spring festival) and on the 6th day festival in Adi (July-August) and Masi (February-March) conducted by the Setupati of Ramnad.

The outer set of corridors is reputed to be the longest in the word being about 400 feet in each in the east and west and about 640 feet in north and south and inner corridors are about 224 feet in east and west and about 352 feet each in north and south. Their width varies from 15.5 feet to 17 feet in the east and west about 172 feet on the north and south with width varying 14.5 feet to 17 feet. The total length of those corridors is thus 3850 feet. There are about 1200 pillars in the outer corridor. Their height is about 30 feet from the floor to the center of the roof.

Ramesham: Rameswaram, in Southern Tamilnadu. This Shivastalam is considered to be one of the holiest shrines in India. It represents the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlingams of India and has been a time honored pilgirmage center held on par with Banaras. The island-temple town is located off of the Sethu coast of Tamilnadu (south eastern).

This temple is assocated closely with the Ramayana and Rama’s victorious return from Sri Lanka.

Rameswaram is an interesting temple both from the standpoint of its association with Rama and from a structural standpoint. A. huge temple in the island of Rameswaram (reached via the Pamban bridge across the sea), Rameswaram is known for its long ornate corridors and towers and 36 theerthams.

Legend has it that Rama worshipped Shiva in the form of a Shiva Lingam made of earth by Sita, while returning to Ayodhya. Legend has it that Hanuman was entrusted with the task of bringing an image of Viswanathar from Benares. Anticipating delay in Hanuman’s return from Benares, Rama is said to have offered worship at a pre-chosen auspicious moment to a Shivalingam fashioned out of earth by Sita. This lingam is referred to as Ramalingam and the town is known as Rameswaram.

There is yet another Shivalingam here – Viswanathar said to have been brought by Hanuman from Banares. This Shivalingam is referred to as Kasilingam and Hanumalingam. Prayers are offered to Viswanathar before they are offered to Ramanathaswamy.

Legend has it that Rama worshipped Tilakeswarar at Devipatnam nearby enroute to Sri Lanka.

There is also a shrine to SethuMadhava and Lakshmi in Rameswaram. Sethu Madhava is also referred to as Sweta Madhava, the term Sweta referring to the white stone with which the image is made.

The Gandamadana parvatam: is a hill on the island which bears a small shrine containing imprints of Rama’s feet held in worship .

Architecture and History: This temple, spread over an area of 15 acres , has lofty gopurams, massive walls and a collossal Nandi. Rameswaram also boasts of a 4000 feet long pillared corridor with over 4000 pillars, supposedly the longest in the world. The carved granite pillars are mounted on a raised platform. What is unique about this corridor is that the rock is not indigenous to the island and it was brought in from elsewhere in Tamilnadu across the sea. The eastern Rajagopuram towers to a height of 126 feet and it has nine levels. The Western Rajagopuram, though impressive is not as tall as the Eastern one. The stuccoed image of Nandi is about 18 feet tall and 22 feet in length.

It is believed that the ancient shrine was housed in a thatched hut until the 12th century and that the 1st ever masonry structure was built by Parakrama Bahu of Sri Lanka. The Setupathy rulers of Ramanathapuram completed the rest of the temple. Some of the temple vimaanams resemble the Vimaanams of the Pallava period. Much of the additions were carried out between the 12th and the 16th centuries. The long corridor (3rd prakaram) dates back only to the 18th century. The Gandhamadhana Parvatam (hill) provides a good view of the temple. This temple has received royal patronage from several kingdoms such as Travancore, Ramanathapuram, Mysore and Pudukkottai.

Worship: Six worship services are carried out each day, the first being at 5am. Special worship services are carried out every Friday.
Festivals: Rama’s worship is commemorated in the month of Aani (June 15-July 15); two annual Bhrammotsavams are celebrated in Aadi and in Maasi.

Theertham (Water springs): There are 36 Theerthams in Rameswaram of which 22 are in the temple and these waters are said to possess medicinal properties. Bathing in these is considered to be of great significance. The Agni theertham refers to the ocean while the Koti theertham is located within the temple itself.