Śhiva-Rātri

OMMMMMM MAHA SHIVARATRI

March 8-9, 2024 
Ceremony begins Friday 7:00 pm – all-night vigil, ending Saturday morning after brunch

• In-Person – Salt Spring Centre of Yoga, 355 Blackburn Road, Salt Spring Island
• Online – Check the event listings for the Sankaṭ Mochan Hanumān Temple here

All are welcome to come together on this auspicious night of celebration and worship.

………Let Illusion fall away…….
Shiva Danced
And I caught a glimpse of freedom
Shiva Danced
And I caught a glimpse of peace.“

PARTICIPATION AND ACCOMMODATION:

• Contact Mahavir if you are interested in participating in making the Lingams and/or offering in the midnight Shiva Puja or Maha Shivaratri Puja Saturday morning.
• Coming from off island to make Lingams requires arrival on the evening of Thursday the 7th. A room for sleeping on the 7th can be arranged. No rooms will be booked Friday night on the 8th to support the participation and observance of the all-night vigil (unless it is needed for health reasons). Contact Anuradha about housing.
• All are welcome to participate and observe anytime throughout the night. Hara Hara Mahadev   🔱 🕉️

SCHEDULE:

Mar. 8 @ 8:30 am: Making lingams for the Shiva Mandala
Mar. 8 @ 7:00 pm: All-night vigil begins – Ganesh Puja – Hanuman Chalisa – Shiva Arati – Kirtan – Asanas – Yajnas
Mar. 9 @ 6:00 to 6:30 am: Procession – lingams to the pond
Mar. 9 @ 7:00 am: Simple ‘break fast’ breakfast

COST: 

Donations gratefully accepted to cover the costs. Thank you!!
Housing for overnight – $40

EVENT DESCRIPTION:

Shivaratri is the fourteenth day of the lunar fortnight, when the moon is waning; this is the night of Auspicious Darkness or night of Shiva. Shiva’s name means “the Auspicious One.”

The Night of Shiva goes through the evening until the new moon the next morning. It is considered the night of Consecration, of Dedication and of Illumination.

Through fasting, chanting ritual and prayer throughout the night, we purify the mind and offer our ignorance of our mistaken identity and our created world to that aspect of “God who takes away,” as the Remover or Destroyer. Shiva is the remover of Ignorance. Removing our separateness from the Divine, so we can identify with our true Self—as we offer to the Auspicious energy within on Shiva’s night.

Also, since Shiva watches over us and is ever working for our realization night and day, in deep gratitude, on this dark night of the new moon, we ask Shiva to please take his rest.

We vow that we will not forget our aim and that by absorbing the mind through the rituals with prayers, chanting, practices, and ceremony we will be engaged in sadhana (spiritual practice) and constant remembrance of him and the Truth he represents.

It is an auspicious time to deepen or to start our spiritual practice, affirming discipline and devotion.

Our celebration begins with the making of 1008 Shiva Lingams, morning of the 8th.

The Shiva Lingam (“mark or sign”) represents the formless aspect of Shiva, unmanifest nature, as well as procreative power. Made and placed as a circular mandala while repeating mantras. The mandala represents the integration of masculine (Lingam)and feminine (Yoni, representing manifest nature). This is symbolic of the entire creation and a form of the universe itself.

Other names of Shiva are:

Shankara, giver of peace.
Shambho, granter of welfare and joy.
Hara, remover of pain and ignorance.
Mahadeva, the great god.

Hara Hara Mahadev!! Jai Babaji!! Jai Satsang!!