THE SHIVRATRI SPIRIT
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
---|---|
THE SHIVRATRI SPIRIT | |
|
|
*Dr. K L Chowdhury
|
|
![]() |
|
I claim no more knowledge of Shivratri than that it is observed with enthusiasm, gaiety and devotion on the auspicious night when lord Shiva, the destroyer and protector, and goddess Parvati, his eternal mate and “Shakti”, were united in wedlock.
A lot of myth and legend is woven around this most celebrated of Kashmiri Pandit festivals. Parvati, in her previous birth as Uma , sacrificed herself to become “Sati”, as a mark of protest against the dishonor to her husband, lord Shiva, by jumping into the consuming flames of Yajna, which her father, Dakshya Prajapati, had organized. He had invited all gods, rishis and sages to his Yajna but deliberately ignored his own son-in-law to denigrate and insult him. The incensed Shiva had burst into Tandava Nritya (cosmic dance) which shook the earth, the sea, and the skies and threatened whole creation with eternal doom. Only after petitions of mercy from the gods did he retire to mount Kailasa to resume his meditation and restore equilibrium to the universe. Now, in her new birth, in a new incarnation as the daughter of Himalayas, Parvati had to go through a long period of meditation and penance to claim the hand of lord Shiva again. The groom arrived on his buffalo mount - smeared all over with ash, his hair matted into locks, wearing a garland of skulls and accompanied by his marriage party of yakshas - to the horror and shock of the bride’s parents and guests who shuddered at the idea of giving the hand of the beautiful maiden, to an uncouth god. But Parvati stood firm against the admonition of her parents and insisted that she would marry the ash-smeared groom. Appeals flew to the groom from all guests and he went away to return soon in a more presentable form in the company of gods, sages and celestial beings and to the welcome of flowers and songs, dance and drums. The event is being re-enacted every year in every Hindu house all over the world with great religious fervor. A lot of ritual goes into the festival. A symbolic marriage is observed between Shiva and Parvati, in every house - pitchers, pots and pans symbolizing the lord, the goddess, and the marriage party, are arranged and decorated at a vantage place in the house. A pitcher filled with fresh water and dried walnuts by the first lady of the house or by the elder daughter-in-law, represents the “Vatuk”. Delicacies of rice, fish, turnip, lotus-stalk, mutton, water-fowl, vegetables and sundries are cooked and fed to the groom, the bride and the guests after the performance of a full ritual marriage ceremony with the recitation of mantras and hymns and to the accompaniment of conchs and bells. Incense and aroma fill the house as oil lamps are lit and camphor is put to flames and gums and resins, seeds, grains and cereals are fed to the fire. The ceremony ends with the recitation of Aarti (mass prayer) by the inmates who then break their fast and enjoy the feast. That is as far as the ritual goes but Shivratri is not just that. Like the Yuletide Spirit that grips Christians all over the world and heralds the birth of Jesus Christ, Kashmiri Pandits get into the Shivratri Spirit much before the wedding night of the lord and his consort. As a prelude to the great event, a full month of prayers and fasting in the manner of “Dahem Kah” (an alternate day of one meal and no meal except fresh fruit and milk) and recitation of scriptures, Shiv-Purana and the reading of epics, are observed during the month of Magha. ‘Kaw Poornima’ or Magha Purnima, celebrated on the 15th day of the bright fortnight of Magha, heralds the celebrations proper, with an adieu to the prolonged hibernation and incarceration of winter, a holy dip in the Vitasta and offerings of yellow rice on triangular contraptions of stick and soft grass called ‘Kaw Potul’, to the ravens who come home to roost around that time to the welcome song, ‘Kaw Batta Kawo’. Crow, crow, The infectious spirit catches everybody fast in a mood of joy and generosity and the blossoming of the dormant urges and aspirations. Though the earth is yet covered with snow, the thaw has started and the spring smells waft in the air as the count down on Shivratri starts on the first day of Phagun following on the heels of Kaw Poornima. Children get into their act on the very first day of the dark fortnight of Phagun (Jan-Feb) by their non-sense count-down rhymes to which grown ups readily lend their voice “Akh tu akh Khodaya….” It is during this fortnight that the ghosts of winter are driven away from the houses which are dusted, swept and cleaned and mud-washed or white-washed and [people go shopping for new utensils and new dresses. Parvati, the bride, gets her ceremonial bath on Devgon preceded by the Mehndiraat (the night of the henna) on the Ashtami and the tempo rises as all married women of the house, young and aged, return home on the 10th day of the fortnight after having paid a visit to their parents, and bringing in loads of gifts -foot wears, firepots (Kangri) and packets of salt; mittens, mufflers and socks; candy, cowry and cash. Knock, knock And the door is opened and the ‘prasad’ of walnuts and fresh-baked rice-bread are distributed to the household, the neighbors, relatives, and friends. |
|
![]() |
|
*Dr. K L Chowdhury retired as a Professor of Medicine, Medical College, Srinagar. Presently he is the Director of a charitable institution, Shriya Bhatt Mission Hospital and Research Center, Durga Nagar, Jammu. He is a physician and neurologist, a medical researcher, poet, social activist. He writes on diverse subjects – medical, literary, social and political and has numerous research papers to his credit, his pioneering work being “The Health Trauma in a Displaced Population” which was presented at national and international conferences. He was declared Shehjar's 'Kashmiri Person of the year' for 2007. |
|
![]() |
|
Copyrights © 2007 Shehjar online and KashmirGroup.com. Any content, including but not limited to text, software, music, sound, photographs, video, graphics or other material contained may not be modified, copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, or distributed in any form or context without written permission. Terms & Conditions. | |