The Upcoming Celebration of Maha Shivaratri

On March 4th Maha Shivaratri, an annual celebration in the Hindu religion, will commence all around the globe. This festival is held in honor of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva, and is expressed through fasting and praying. During Maha Shivaratri, there is an all-night vigil for self- reflection and prayer, and many people celebrating will make an annual pilgrimage to “Jyotirlingams,” traditional shrines built for Shiva.

According to mahashivratri.org, this holiday is believed to have come about from the “marriage” of Lord Shiva and Parvati. They explain this stating: “Some believe that it was on the auspicious night of Shivaratri that Lord Shiva performed the ‘Tandava’, the dance of the primal creation, preservation, and destruction. Hence the day is considered to be extremely auspicious by Shiva devotees and they celebrate it as Mahashivaratri - the grand night of Shiva.”

This holiday is typically celebrated in India and Nepal, the top two countries in terms of Hindu populations. Shreya Shah, is a USF international student from India and recalls the festival as being significant in her culture. She says “I’m not as connected with my religion anymore. Although this day is important in my culture, it is not the most exciting. Most of the day is spent fasting, praying and reflecting on our lives. In my country, it is a very important day to reflect on our faith.”

This event is directly impactful to the Will and Cook County area, as there are several temples located in Lemont, Naperville, Lockport and Plainfield. Although it may appear to be insignificant, globally, Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion, with the number of Hindu Americans continuing to grow. According to hafsite.org, The Hindu American Foundation, in 2008 there were nearly 2.3 million Hindu Americans in the US, with an estimated one million not from Indian descent. This number has undoubtedly risen over the past ten years and goes to show how expansive this religion has become.