May The Festival Of Lights Be The Harbinger Of Joy & Prosperity. As The Holy Occasion Of Gudi Padwa Is Here & The Atmosphere Is Filled With The Spirit Of Mirth & Love, Here’s Hoping This Festival of Beauty Brings Ur Way, Bright Sparkles of Contentment, That Stay With U Through The Days Ahead. Best Wishes on Gudi Padwa 2015

Mahashivratri

!! ओम नमः शिवाय ! सत्यम शिवम सुंदरम 
!!happy Shivaratri festival to all !
We pray that Lord Shiva bestows his blessings on one and all !!
! Om Namah Shivay !!

Maha Shivratri is a Hindu festival rejoices every year in worship of Lord Shiva. It is celebrated every year on the 13th night of the Maagha month according to Hindu calendar. Celebrated in the dark fortnight or Krishna Paksha of the month of Maagha according to the Shalivahana or Phalguna.
This year, mahashivratri will fall on 17th of February 2015. The festival is mainly celebrated by offerings of Bael or Bilva/Vilvam leaves to Lord Shiva, all day fasting and an all night long vigil (jagarana). All through the day the devotees, sing the holy mantra dedicated to Lord Shiva “Om Namah Shivaya”. In accordance with scriptural & discipleship rituals, penances are executed in order to grow bonus in the practice of Yoga and also meditation process, A one week long international Mandi Shivratri Fair held at Mandi in the Himachal Pradesh (Indian state) every year is one of the main tourist attractions in the state. In Nepal, millions of Hindus present at Shivaratri jointly from different part of the worldwide at the well-known Pashupatinath Temple.

According to the Puranas, during the great fabulous mixing of the ocean called Samudra Manthan, a pot of poison appeared from the ocean. The gods and the evil were scared as it could destroy the whole world. When they ran to Lord Shiva for help, he in order to care the world, drank the deadly poison but held it in his throat instead of consuming it. This turned his throat blue and since then he came to be known as ‘Nil-kantha’. Shivratri rejoices this event by which Shiva saved the world.

There is an sanskrit shloka that lists the twelve jyotirlinga temples.

“Saurashtre Somanathamcha Srisaile Mallikarjunam|
Ujjayinya Mahakalam Omkaramamaleswaram ||
Paralyam Vaidyanathancha Dakinyam Bheema Shankaram |
Setu Bandhethu Ramesam, Nagesam Darukavane||
Varanasyantu Vishwesam Tryambakam Gautameethate|
Himalayetu Kedaaram, Ghrishnesamcha shivaalaye||
Etani jyotirlingani, Saayam Praatah Patennarah|
Sapta Janma Kritam pApam, Smaranena Vinashyati||”

A Jyotirlinga or Jyotirling or Jyotirlingam is a shrine where Lord Shiva, an aspect of God in Hinduism is worshipped in the form of a Jyotirlingam or "Lingam of light." There are twelve traditional Jyotirlinga shrines in India

1. Somnath JyotirLing in Saurashtra (Guj)
2. Mallikarjun jyoptirling in Srisailam (A.P.)
3. Mahakaleshwar jyotirling in Ujjain (M.P.)
4. Omkareshwar jyotirling in Shivpuri / mAmaleswara (M.P.)
5. Vaidyanath jyotirling in Parali (Mah)
6. Nageswar jyotirling in Darukavanam
7.  Kedareswar jyotirling in Kedarnath / Himalayas (Utt)
8. Tryambakeswar jyotirling in Nasik (Mah)
9. Rameshwar jyotirling in Setubandanam / Rameshwaram (T.N.)
10. Bhimashankar jyotirling in Dakini (Mah)
11. Visweswar jyotirling in Varanasi (U.P.) and
12. Ghrishneswar jyotirling in Devasrovar (Mah).