The Hindu calendar is based on a geocentric model of the Solar System . A geocentric model describes the Solar System as seen by an observer on the surface of the Earth.
93-410: The Hindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements: māsa (lunar month), pakṣa (lunar fortnight) and tithi (lunar day). Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. amānta / pūrṇimānta . If a festival falls in the waning phase of
186-540: A kṛṣṇa pakṣa is called amāvāsya (new moon) and the fifteenth tithi of a śukla pakṣa is called pūrṇimā (full moon). The saura māna ( Sanskrit : सौर मान ) of the Hindu calendar is defined by the movement of the Earth around the Sun. It contains sidereal ( Sanskrit : निरयन; nirayana ) and tropical ( Sanskrit : सायन; sāyana ) elements. A saura māna varṣa or sidereal year
279-495: A lingam - an emblematic figure of Shiva. Different legends describe the significance of Maha Shivaratri. According to one legend in the Shaivism tradition, this is the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance of creation, preservation and destruction. The chanting of hymns, the reading of Shiva scriptures and the chorus of devotees joins this cosmic dance and remembers Shiva's presence everywhere. According to another legend, this
372-505: A new moon to a full moon and vice versa. The waxing phase of the moon is known as the bright side ( Sanskrit : शुक्ल पक्ष , romanized : śukla pakṣa ) and the waning phase is known as the dark side ( Sanskrit : कृष्ण पक्ष , romanized : kṛṣṇa pakṣa ). During a pakṣa , the Moon advances 180° with respect to the Earth-Sun axis. A cāndramāsa ( Sanskrit : चन्द्रमास )
465-534: A pony or domestic yak . The circumambulation takes three days on average with the first day trek from Darchen to Dirapuk gompa for about 14 km (8.7 mi), followed by a journey from Dirpauk to Zutulphuk via the Drölma pass for 19 km (12 mi) on the second day and the final trek back to Darchen on the last day. The most extreme method of doing the circumambulation (called Kora ) in Tibetan Buddhism
558-402: A tithi is the time taken for the Moon's elongation (on the ecliptic plane ) to increase by 12°. A tithi is one fifteenth of a pakṣa and one thirtieth of a cāndramāsa . A tithi corresponds to the concept of a lunar day. Tithi have Sanskrit numbers according by their position in the pakṣa , i.e. prathama (first), dvitīya (second) etc. The fifteenth, that is, the last tithi of
651-498: A 60 km (37 mi) stretch in the region. Mount Kailash is located on the banks of Manasarovar and Rakshastal lakes. Spread over an area of 320 km (120 sq mi), Manasarovar is the highest freshwater lake in the world. The region around Mount Kailash are remnants of large ice sheets that covered the region during the Quaternary period, the last of which retreated about 10,000 years ago. The mountain might be
744-410: A challenge with Naro Böncham, a follower of Bön religion of Tibet. The two engaged in a battle of wits with neither able to gain a decisive advantage. Finally, it was agreed that whoever could reach the summit of Kailash first would be the victor. While Naro sat on his magic drum to climb up the slope, Milarepa reached the summit riding on the rays of the Sun , thus winning the contest. He also gave
837-521: A circumambulation of Mount Kailash is a spiritually beneficial practice that can bring various positive effects, such as the cleansing of one's sins. Each circumambulation is considered to have fulfilled a life-death cycle. There are many stupas , flag poles, Buddhist monasteries and praying stations along the route. Many of the cultural artifacts along the route was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution of China from 1966 to 1976. Hindus take
930-416: A clockwise direction by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains, while Bönpos circumambulate the mountain in a counterclockwise direction. The circumambulation usually begins and ends at Darchen , a small outpost located at an elevation of 4,670 m (15,320 ft) with the highest point at the Drölma pass situated at 5,650 m (18,540 ft). Trekking around the mountain can be done on foot with support from
1023-441: A ghaṭikā, or just under 24 seconds. A prāṇa ( Sanskrit : प्राण ) or asu ( Sanskrit : असु ) is one sixth of a vighaṭikā, or just under four seconds. Sāvana māna ( Sanskrit : सावन मान ) of the Hindu calendar defines civil time . A dina ( Sanskrit : दिन ) is the time between two succeeding sunrises. dina corresponds to the concept of a solar day . The length of a dina varies with daytime length . Apart from
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#17330845464091116-470: A large metasedimentary roof pendant supported by a base of granite . The Indus headwaters area is typified by wide-scale faulting of metamorphosed late- Cretaceous to mid- Cenozoic sedimentary rocks interspersed with igneous Cenozoic granitic rocks. The Cenozoic rocks represent offshore marine limestones deposited before subduction of the Tethys oceanic crust . These sediments were deposited on
1209-552: A pilgrimage called yatra to the mountain. While it is not known when the first pilgrimage started, it is one of the oldest of the oldest pilgrimage routes, which has been in existence for many years. Pilgrimage to the mountain increased in the 1930s but was affected later due to both China and the British Empire claiming the region. Religious pilgrimages to Mount Kailas and Manasarovar were permitted by China after its occupation of Tibet in 1950-51. While pilgrimage from India
1302-437: A result, he acquired the epithet Nilakantha . It is also believed that the famous Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is the place where this incident took place. The significance of dance tradition to this festival has historical roots. The Maha Shivaratri has served as a historic confluence of artists for annual dance festivals at major Hindu temples such as at Konark , Khajuraho , Pattadakal , Modhera and Chidambaram . This event
1395-523: A ritual bath in the Manasarovar before doing circumambulation. Hindu text Skanda Purana states that "There are no mountains like the Himalaya, for in them are Kailas and Mansarovar. As the dew is dried up by the morning Sun, so are the sins of mankind dried up by the sight of the Himalaya." Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims often chant om mani padme hum (jewel in the lotus) and sing nyelu songs while crossing
1488-410: A sāvana dina Above that a nakṣatra dina is divided into ghaṭikā (of 24 modern minutes each) and vighaṭikā (of 24 modern seconds each). These same units are used to subdivide a savana dina using sunrise as the starting point, i.e. the first 24 minutes after sunrise constitute the first ghaṭikā, the next 24 minutes the second ghaṭikā and so on. pitṛpakṣa pitṛpakṣa ( Sanskrit : पितृपक्ष )
1581-732: Is a mountain in Ngari Prefecture , Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It lies in the Kailash Range (Gangdisê Mountains) of the Transhimalaya , in the western part of the Tibetan Plateau . The peak of Mount Kailash is located at an elevation of 6,638 m (21,778 ft), near the western trijunction between China , India and Nepal . Mount Kailash is located close to Manasarovar and Rakshastal lakes. The sources of four rivers: Indus , Sutlej , Brahmaputra , and Karnali lie in
1674-569: Is a national holiday in Nepal and celebrated widely in temples all over the country, especially in the Pashupatinath temple . Thousands of devotees visit the famous Shiva Shakti Peetham nearby as well. Holy rituals are performed all over the nation. Maha Shivaratri is celebrated as Nepali Army Day amid a spectacular ceremony held at the Army Pavilion, Tundikhel . In the capital city of Kathmandu, there
1767-776: Is a pakṣa during which the Sun crosses the equator and transitions overhead the southern hemisphere, i.e. the autumnal equinox occurs within pitṛpakṣa. bhādrapada māsa kṛṣṇa pakṣa is identified with pitṛpakṣa. This identification is not always correct. For instance, in the Gregorian year 2020, bhādrapada māsa kṛṣṇa pakṣa ended with the new moon on 17 September while autumnal equinox occurred five days later, on 22 September. Mount Kailasha Mount Kailash (also Kailasa ; Kangrinboqê or Gang Rinpoche ; Standard Tibetan : གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ ; simplified Chinese : 冈仁波齐峰 ; traditional Chinese : 岡仁波齊峰 ; pinyin : Gāngrénbōqí Fēng ; Sanskrit : कैलास , IAST : Kailāsa )
1860-542: Is a provision of road blockage where children use ropes and strings to stop the people or vehicle passing through in exchange of money. Worshippers of Shiva stay up all night and smoke marijuana as Shiva is believed to be an avid smoker and marijuana smoking on this day is called taking ‘Shivako Prasad’ or ‘Shiva Buti’ literally the "Blessing of Shiva". Crowds of sadhus and saints travel to Pashupatinath Temple located in Kathmandu from all of Nepal and neighbouring India to celebrate
1953-544: Is a solemn event notable for its introspective focus, fasting, meditation on Shiva, self study, social harmony and an all-night vigil at Shiva temples. The celebration includes maintaining a jagarana , an all-night vigil and prayers, because Shaiva Hindus mark this night as "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in one's life and the world through Shiva. Offerings of fruits, leaves, sweets and milk are made to Shiva, some perform all-day fasting with Vedic or Tantric worship of Shiva, and some perform meditative yoga . In Shiva temples,
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#17330845464092046-437: Is also possible that an entire tithi elapses between two sunrises, i.e. the Moon traverses a 12° arc in between two sunrises (it enters the arc after one sunrise and exits the arc before the next sunrise). In this such a case, neither sāvana dina will be associated with this tithi, i.e. this tithi will be skipped over in the calendar. Such a tithi is referred to as a kṣaya ( Sanskrit : क्षय ) (lost) tithi . Subdivisions of
2139-501: Is called Natyanjali , literally "worship through dance", at the Chidambaram temple which is famous for its sculpture depicting all dance mudras in the ancient Hindu text of performance arts called Natya Shastra . Similarly, at Khajuraho Shiva temples, a major fair and dance festival on Maha Shivaratri, involving Shaiva pilgrims camped over miles around the temple complex, was documented by Alexander Cunningham in 1864. Maha Shivaratri
2232-550: Is celebrated by the Hindus of Kashmir and is called, "Herath" in Kashmiri, a word derived from the Sanskrit word "Hararatri" the "Night of Hara" (another name of Shiva). Shivaratri, regarded as the most important festival of the community, for instance, is celebrated by them on trayodashi or the thirteenth of the dark half of the month of Phalguna (February–March) and not on the chaturdashi or
2325-564: Is celebrated in Tamil Nadu with great pomp and fanfare in the Annamalaiyar temple located in Tiruvannamalai district. The special process of worship on this day is Girivalam or Giri Pradakshina, a 14-kilometer bare foot walk around Shiva's temple on top of the hill. A huge lamp of oil and camphor is lit on the hilltop at sunset - not to be confused with Karthigai Deepam . A ritual marathon
2418-488: Is central to its cosmology, and a major pilgrimage site for some Buddhist traditions. In Buddhism, Kailash represents the father of the world and lake Mansarovar symbolizes the mother. Numerous sites in the region are associated with Padmasambhava , who is credited with establishing Tantric Buddhism in Tibet in the 8th century CE. Vajrayana Buddhists believe that saint Milarepa ( c. 1052 – c. 1135 ) had
2511-558: Is considered as a stairway to heaven , where the devas reside and the Vishnu Purana states that it lies in the center of the world surrounded by six mountain ranges similar to a lotus , one of which is the Himalayas. In the later Hindu theology, Kailash came to be identified with Meru. Shiva is described as sitting in a lotus position, engaged in meditation within the confines of the mountain. Kailash and Mansarovar are mentioned in
2604-445: Is considered to be dvādaśī tithi. adhika tithi and kṣaya tithi It is possible that two consecutive sunrises may have the same tithi, i.e. the Moon continues to remain within the same 12° arc across two consecutive sunrises. In such a case, two consecutive sāvana dina will be associated with the same tithi. The tithi associated with the second sāvana dina is referred to as a adhika ( Sanskrit : अधिक ) (additional) tithi . It
2697-463: Is in the town of Mandi is particularly famous as a venue for Maha Shivaratri celebrations. It is believed that all gods and goddesses of the area, said to number more than 200, assemble here on the day of Maha Shivaratri. Mandi, located on the banks of Beas , is popularly known as the "Cathedral of Temples" and one of the oldest towns of Himachal Pradesh, with about 81 temples of different deities on its periphery. In Kashmir Shaivism , Maha Shivaratri
2790-452: Is known as a saṅkramaṇa ( Sanskrit : सङ्क्रमण ) or saṅkrānti ( Sanskrit : सङ्क्रान्ति ). These time periods are defined based on the solstices ( Sanskrit : अयन; IAST : ayana ) and equinoxes ( Sanskrit : विषुवत्; IAST : viṣuvat ). The time taken by the Sun to move from the winter solstice to the summer solstice is known as northward movement ( Sanskrit : उत्तरायण , romanized : uttarāyaṇa ) and time taken by
2883-423: Is made up of 12 consecutive candramāsa . These twelve candramāsa are designated by unique names caitra , vaiśākha , etc. In some instances an additional candramāsa , known as an adhikamāsa , is added to synchronise the candra māna varṣa with the solar year or saura māna varṣa . A tithi ( Sanskrit : तिथि ) is the time taken by the Moon to advance 12° with respect to the Earth-Sun axis. In other words
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2976-508: Is not only outside of us but within us. To unite ourselves with the One Self is to recognize the Shiva in us. Maha Shivaratri is particularly important in the Shaivism tradition of Hinduism . Unlike most Hindu festivals that are celebrated during the day, Maha Shivaratri is celebrated at night. Furthermore, unlike most Hindu festivals that include expression of cultural revelry, Maha Shivaratri
3069-407: Is observed devoutly by unmarried girls and boys seeking a suitable husband or wife, often visiting Tarakeswar . In Odisha , Maha Shivaratri is also known as Jagara . People fast for their wishes whole day and take food after 'Mahadipa' (The great diya) rises at the top of Shiva temple. It usually is held during midnight. Unmarried girls also worship for seeking a suitable husband. Maha Shivaratri
3162-486: Is one of the most important festivals that is celebrated with much grandeur. The ardent worshippers stay awake all night and visit temples to take part in the rituals. Popular temple destinations such as Dharmasthala , Murudeshwara , Gokarna , Nanjangud , Male Madeshwara Hills , Kadu Malleshwara , Kotilingeshwara , Mylaralingeshwara among others are thronged with devotees across the state and other neighbouring states. The Isha Foundation 's festivities are replicated at
3255-426: Is performed by doing full body-length prostrations over the entire stretch around the mountain. The pilgrim bends down, kneels, prostrates full-length, makes a mark with her fingers, rises to her knees, prays, and then crawls forward on hands and knees to the mark made by her fingers before repeating the process. With this method, the pilgrimage takes three weeks on average to complete. Pilgrims believe that doing
3348-524: Is performed until 5 am, when an aarti is then done. Devotees then walk barefoot with women carrying a pooja thali containing flowers, incense sticks, rice, coconut and a diya to the sea after which they are free to break their fast. They eat breakfast later on, which was made in the temple kitchen. Maha Shivaratri is the main Hindu festival among the Shaiva Hindu diaspora from Nepal and India . In Indo-Caribbean communities, thousands of Hindus spend
3441-417: Is represented by a pitcher full of water in which walnuts are kept for soaking and worshipped along with Shiva, Parvati, Kumara, Ganesha, their ganas or attendant deities, yoginis and kshetrapalas (guardians of the quarters) – all represented by clay images. The soaked walnuts are later distributed as naivedya. The ceremony is called 'vatuk barun' in Kashmiri, which means filling the pitcher of water representing
3534-477: Is shorter than the saura māna varṣa by about eleven sāvana dina. As a result, unless explicitly synchronised, these two parts of the calendar will diverge over time, as the cāndra māna varṣa will keep "falling behind" the saura māna varṣa. In order to synchronise these two parts of the calendar, an additional cāndramāsa is introduced into some cāndra māna varṣa. Such a cāndramāsa is referred to as adhikamāsa ( Sanskrit : अधिकमास ) . A adhikamāsa takes its name from
3627-467: Is the home of the Hindu god Shiva ...for Jains it is where their first leader was enlightened; for Buddhists, the navel of the universe; and for adherents of Bon, the abode of the sky goddess Sipaimen." Mount Kailash is located in Ngari Prefecture , Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It lies in the Gangdisê Mountains (also called as Kailash Range) of the Transhimalaya , in the western part of
3720-536: Is the night when Shiva and Parvati got married. A different legend states the offering to Shiva icons, such as the linga, is an annual occasion to overcome any past sins, to restart on a virtuous path, and thereby reach Mount Kailasha for liberation. It is also believed that on this particular day, Shiva gulped the Halahala produced during the Samudra Manthana and held it in his neck, which bruised and turned blue. As
3813-411: Is the time taken by the Sun to orbit the Earth once and return to the starting point with respect to the fixed stars. The starting point is taken to be the position of the Sun when it is in opposition to Spica ( Sanskrit : चित्रा , romanized : citrā ). . A rāśi ( Sanskrit : राशि ) is a 30° arc of the orbit of the Sun around the Earth (i.e an arc of the ecliptic ). Starting in
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3906-436: Is the time taken by the moon to move from a new moon to the next new moon (as per the amānta [ Sanskrit : अमान्त ] tradition ) or a full moon to the next full moon (as per the pūrṇimānta [ Sanskrit : पूर्णिमान्त ] tradition). In other words a cāndramāsa is the synodic period of the Moon, or two pakṣas . During a cāndramāsa , the Moon advances 360° with respect to the Earth-Sun axis. A candra māna varṣa or lunar year
3999-409: Is then associated with the entire sāvana dina. To illustrate: consider the Gregorian date 18th Sep 2021 . Instead of referring to it as "2nd dina of kanyā masa" Hindus will refer to it as " bhādrapada māsa, śukla pakṣa, dvitiyā tithi", which is the tithi prevailing at sunrise on that sāvana dina. Even though the Moon moves into the trayodaśī arc soon after sunrise (at 6:54AM), that entire sāvana dina
4092-850: Is undertaken by the devotees to the 12 Shiva shrines in the district of Kanyakumari on the day of Shivaratri called Sivalaya Ottam . In recent years, the Isha Foundation has been a major patron of such festivities in India, with even Prime Minister Narendra Modi having attended the celebration hosted at the site of the Giant Adiyogi in Coimbatore . The major Jyotirlinga Shiva temples of India, such as in Varanasi and Somanatha , are particularly frequented on Maha Shivaratri. They serve also as sites for fairs and special events. In Karnataka , Mahashivaratri
4185-677: Is used to denote the mountain. The mountain is also called as Gang Rinpoche ( Tibetan : གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་; simplified Chinese : 冈仁波齐峰 ; traditional Chinese : 岡仁波齊峰 ) or Gang Tise locally. Gang Rinpoche means "snow jewel mountain" with Kang (or Gang ) being the Tibetan word meaning white mountain (snow peak) and rinpoche is an honorific meaning "precious one". Gang Tise means "mountain of ice or cool". "Tibetan Buddhists call it Kangri Rinpoche; 'Precious Snow Mountain'. Bon texts have many names: Water's Flower, Mountain of Sea Water, Nine Stacked Swastikas Mountain. For Hindus, it
4278-576: The Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata . According to the Hindu scriptures and sculptural depictions, the demon-king Ravana shook the mountain after he was refused entry to Kailash. This enraged Shiva, who pressed his toe upon the mountain, trapping Ravana in between. Ravana sang hymns in praise of Shiva for a thousand years before he was released. This representation of Shiva is also referred to as Ravananugraha (meaning "form showing favour to Ravana"). According to Jain scriptures, Rishabhanatha ,
4371-698: The Tibetan Plateau . The peak of Mount Kailash is at an elevation of 6,638 m (21,778 ft). The region is located north of the western tripoint of the border between China , India and Nepal . The major rivers rising from the western Gangdise mountains are the Yarlung Tsangpo (which becomes the Brahmaputra ), the Indus , the Sutlej and the Karnali , a tributary of Ganges . All these river systems originate within
4464-590: The permafrost in the Tibet region might lead to uncertain effects on water resources of the region. These effects along with population explosion and tourism has put severe stress on the fragile ecosystem around Mount Kailash. The intergovernmental organisation International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is involved in a trans boundary project called the Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative in
4557-501: The Adiyogi Shiva temple at Chikkaballapur which was inaugurated on 15 January 2023. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana , special pujas are held at Pancharamas - Amararamam of Amaravati , Somaramam of Bhimavaram , Draksharamam , Kumararama of Samarlakota and Ksheerarama of Palakollu. The days immediately after Shivaratri are celebrated as Brahmotsavaalu at Srisailam , one of 12 Jyotirlinga sites. Mahashivaratri utsavalu are held at
4650-399: The Earth on its axis. This definition is not used in practice but is required for defining the following smaller units of time. Ā dina is ~4 minutes short of 24 hours. A ghaṭikā ( Sanskrit : घटिका ) or nāḍī ( Sanskrit : नाडी ) is one sixtieth of a nakṣatra dina, or just under 24 minutes. A vighaṭikā ( Sanskrit : विघटिका ) or vināḍī ( Sanskrit : विनाडी ) is one sixtieth of
4743-422: The Earth. Ṛtu corresponds to the concept of a season. The six ṛtu of the year are known as Nākṣatra māna ( Sanskrit : नाक्षत्र मान ) is defined with respect to the fixed stars, so all elements are sidereal in nature. A dina ( Sanskrit : दिन ) is the time taken by the celestial sphere to complete one sidereal rotation around the Earth. In reality, this movement is caused by the diurnal rotation of
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#17330845464094836-507: The Lapcha La pass above the Limi valley on a clear day. Another route exists through the crossing at Rasuwa - Gyirong . Pilgrims could reach Lhasa by air before the journey to Lake Manasarovar or Darchen. The pilgrimage involves trekking towards Lake Mansarovar and a circumambulation of Mount Kailash. The path around Mount Kailash is 53 km (33 mi) long. The circumambulation is made in
4929-570: The Rudreshwara Swamy's 1000 pillar temple in Warangal . Devotees throng for the special poojas at Srikalahasti , Mahanandi , Yaganti , Antarvedi , Kattamanchi , Pattiseema , Bhairavakona , Hanamkonda , Keesaragutta , Vemulawada , Panagal , Kolanupaka amongst others. Shivaratri yatras are held at Mallayya gutta near Kambhalapalle, Gundlakamma Kona near Railway Koduru, Penchalakona, Bhairavakona, Uma Maheswaram amongst others. The Mandi fair
5022-415: The Sun to move from the spring equinox ( ecliptic longitude 0°) to the autumnal equinox (ecliptic longitude 180°) is known as devayāna ( Sanskrit : देवयान ). The time taken by the Sun to move from the autumnal equinox to the spring equinox is designated as pitṛyāṇa ( Sanskrit : पितृयाण ). Due to the axial tilt of the Earth, the Sun appears to be in the north celestial sphere during devayāna and
5115-487: The Sun to move from the summer solstice to the winter solstice is called southward movement Sanskrit : दक्षिणायन , romanized : dakṣiṇāyana . Due to the axial tilt of the Earth, the Sun appears to move towards the north from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer during uttarāyaṇa , and towards the south from the tropic of Cancer to the tropic of Capricorn during dakṣiṇāyana . The time taken by
5208-536: The Vatuka Bhairava with walnuts and worshipping it. Central India has a large number of Shaiva followers. The Mahakaleshwar Temple , Ujjain is one of the most venerated shrines consecrated to Shiva, where a large congregation of devotees gathers to offer prayers on the day of Maha Shivaratri. Tilwara Ghat in the city of Jabalpur and the Math Temple in the village of Jeonara , Seoni are two other places where
5301-521: The Vigil Night of Shiva, Mahashivaratri, we are brought to the moment of interval between destruction and regeneration; it symbolizes the night when we must contemplate on that which watches the growth out of the decay. During Mahashivaratri we have to be alone with our sword, the Shiva out of us. We have to look behind and before, to see what evil needs eradicating from our heart, what growth of virtue we need to encourage. Shiva
5394-407: The awe-inspiring jvala-linga. The Goddess blessed both Vatuka and Ramana that they would be worshipped by human beings and would receive their share of sacrificial offerings on that day and those who would worship them would have all their wishes fulfilled. As Vatuka Bhairava emerged from a pitcher full of water after Mahadevi cast a glance into it, fully armed with all his weapons (and so did Rama), he
5487-455: The beautiful night in over four hundred temples across multiple countries, offering special jhalls (an offering of milk and curd, flowers, sugarcane and sweets) to Shiva. In Mauritius , Hindus go on pilgrimage to Ganga Talao , a crater-lake. Fasting and meditation is recommended for Hindus during Maha Shrivastri. Those fasting may engage in "nirjala vrat," or fasting from all food and water, or fast from meat, eating only fruits and milk during
5580-420: The cāndra māna and sāvana māna of the calendar define the concept of a day as tithi and dina respectively. dina are not named and are not used for calendric purposes. The tithi takes precedence instead. Human life is regulated by the rising of the Sun and not by the movement of the Moon through a 12° arc. Hence, the position of the Moon at sunrise is used to determine the tithi prevailing at sunrise. This tithi
5673-650: The day and perform puja on this day. Another major temple where Shivaratri is celebrated is the Shree Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple in Karachi whose Shivaratri festival is attended by 25,000 people. On the Shivaratri night, Hindus in Karachi fast and visit the temple. Later, devotees from the Chanesar Goth come to the temple carrying water from the holy river Ganges , in order to bathe the idol of Shiva . Puja
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#17330845464095766-409: The day. In Shaivism , fasting is traditionally associated with Shiva worship. It is customary for the devotees of Shiva not to eat anything until they worship him and make him offerings. On most of the days, they do not have to fast for a whole day because the worship is performed in the early morning. However, on the day of Maha Shivaratri, they have to wait because the worship continues late into
5859-508: The discovery of Shiva. Ardent devotees stay awake throughout this night. Others visit one of the Shiva temples or go on a pilgrimage to the Jyotirlingams . The festival is believed to have originated in 5th century BCE. In Kashmir Shaivism , the festival is called Har-ratri or phonetically simpler Haerath or Herath by Shiva devotees of the Kashmir region. A festival of contemplation During
5952-485: The festival is celebrated with much religious fervour. In Punjab , Shobha Yatras would be organised by various Hindu organisations in different cities. It is a grand festival for Punjabi Hindus . In Gujarat , Maha Shivaratri mela is held at Bhavnath near Junagadh where bathing in the Mrugi (Mrigi) kund is considered holy. According to myth, Shiva himself comes to bath in the Mrugi kund. In West Bengal , Maha Shivaratri
6045-454: The founder of Jainism attained moksha (liberation) on Mount Kailash. It is believed by Jains that after Rishabhanatha attained moksha, his son emperor Bharata had constructed three stupas and twenty four shrines of the 24 tirthankaras in the region with their idols studded with precious stones and named it Sinhnishdha . He also performed a fortnight of worship termed Mahamaga and attained moksha from Kailash. Large pits were dug around
6138-409: The four māna explained above, the concept of nakṣatra is an important characteristic of the Hindu calendar. This term has multiple meanings: The four māna explained above are used in combination in the Hindu calendar. adhikamāsa As seen above, both the cāndra māna and saura māna of the calendar define a varṣa comprising twelve māsa, but the duration of the varṣa differ; the cāndra māna varṣa
6231-493: The fourteenth as in the rest of the country. The reason for it is that this long drawn festival that is celebrated for one full fortnight as an elaborate ritual is associated with the appearance of Bhairava ( Shiva ) as a jvala-linga or a linga of flame. It has been described as Bhairavotsava in Tantric texts as on this occasion Bhairava and Bhairavi , his Shakti or cosmic energy, are propitiated through Tantric worship. According to
6324-405: The legend associated with the origin of the worship, the linga appeared at pradoshakala or the dusk of early night as a blazing column of fire and dazzled Vatuka Bhairava and Rama (or Ramana) Bhairava, Mahadevi's mind-born sons, who approached it to discover its beginning or end but miserably failed. Exasperated and terrified they began to sing its praises and went to Mahadevi, who herself merged with
6417-565: The lunar month of Phalguna . The festival commemorates the wedding of Shiva and Parvati , and the occasion that Shiva performs his divine dance, called the Tandava . It is a notable festival in Hinduism , marking a remembrance of "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in life and the world. It is observed by remembering Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting , and meditating on ethics and virtues such as honesty, non-injury to others, charity, forgiveness, and
6510-412: The moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. Saiddhantika Non - Saiddhantika Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the deity Shiva , between February and March. According to the Hindu calendar , the festival is observed on the fourteenth day of the first half (night start with darkness - waning) of
6603-459: The mountain later and the River Ganges was made to flow through it. As per Jain traditions, the 24th and the last Tirthankara, Mahavira , was taken to the summit of Meru by Indra shortly after his birth, after putting his mother into deep slumber. There he was anointed with precious unctions. As per Buddhist texts, Mount Kailash (Kailasa) is known as the mythological Mount Meru . Kailash
6696-422: The mountain was about 6,000 m (20,000 ft) high and utterly unclimbable. He thought about an ascent along the northeast ridge and had been exploring the area with Colonel R. C. Wilson, who was on the other side of the mountain with a Sherpa named Tseten. As per Wilson, Tseten told him that the southeast ridge represented a feasible route to the summit. Wilson explained that although they attempted to climb
6789-407: The mountain, they ran into heavy snowfall, making the ascent impossible. Herbert Tichy visited the area in 1936, attempting to climb the mountain. When he asked the local people whether Kailash was climbable, a Garpon replied: "Only a man entirely free of sin could climb Kailash. And he wouldn't have to actually scale the sheer walls of ice to do it – he'd just turn himself into a bird and fly to
6882-438: The mountain. Mount Kailash is considered sacred in Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism and Bon religions. In Hindu art and literature, the mountain is described as the abode of Shiva , who is depicted as residing there along with his consort Parvati and their children, Ganesha and Kartikeya . In early Hindu depictions, Kailash was described as one of the mountains in the Himalayas. In Hindu mythology, Mount Meru
6975-501: The mountain. The climbing of the mountain is prohibited by the Chinese government due to its religious significance. The mountain is known as " Kailāsa " ( कैलास ; var. Kailāśa कैलाश ) in Sanskrit. The name could have been derived from the word " kelāsa " ( केलास ), which means "crystal". In his Tibetan - English dictionary, Sarat Chandra Das states that 'kai la ca' ( Wylie : kai la ca ) from Sanskrit Kailāsa
7068-405: The movement of the Moon around the Earth. The new moon ( Sanskrit : अमावास्य , romanized : amāvāsya ) and full moon ( Sanskrit : पूर्णिमा , romanized : pūrṇimā ) are important markers in this calendar. The candra māna of the Hindu calendar defines the following synodic calendar elements: A pakṣa ( Sanskrit : पक्ष ) is the time taken by the Moon to move from
7161-420: The name of the cāndramāsa which follows, viz. adhika āśvina precedes āśvina. Most times every cāndramāsa witnesses a saṅkramaṇa . If a cāndramāsa does not witness a saṅkramaṇa, that cāndramāsa is designated as a adhikamāsa thus resulting in the cāndra māna varṣa "catching up" with the saura māna varṣa. This happens approximately once every two and a half (solar) years. dina and tithi As seen above, both
7254-537: The nearby mountain, since known as Bönri bequeathing it to Bön. For the Bon people, the mountain is the abode of sky goddess Sipaimen and the mountain was the centre of the ancient Bon empire of Zhang Zhung . As per Tibetan beliefs, the mountain was the centre of the universe Mandala and the source of the mythical Lion, Horse, Peacock, and Elephant Rivers which flowed in the four cardinal directions. Due to its perceived sacredness to various religions, people undertake
7347-568: The night reaching up to −20 °C (−4 °F) with January being the coldest. Monsoons bring rain from late June to August with cold winds. Global warming is described as happening three times faster (by about 0.3 C per decade) on the Tibetan Plateau than anywhere else in the world with lesser snowfall in the winter. According to locals, the land around Mount Kailash has been growing warmer in recent years with winters not as cold as it used to be. The retreating glaciers and thawing of
7440-399: The night. Devotees break the fast between sunrise and before the end of Chaturdashi Tithi. Astronomical basis of the Hindu calendar The Hindu calendar defines nine measures of time ( Sanskrit : मान IAST : māna ): Of these, only the last four are in active use and are explained here. The candra māna ( Sanskrit : चन्द्र मान ) of the Hindu calendar is defined based on
7533-788: The pilgrimage is organized by the Government of India and is permitted between June and September. Pilgrims from India travel through two routes opened for the purpose with border crossings at Lipu Lekh pass in Uttarakhand and the Nathu La pass in Sikkim . Since 2020, a motorable road is available till the Lipu Lekh pass through the Indian side of the Mahakali valley, before crossing over to China. The Nathu La route
7626-508: The region around Mount Kailash. The organization is involved in ongoing efforts to generate climate data, and to devise sustainable ways of life for the people of the region. In 1926, Hugh Ruttledge , the deputy commissioner of Almora , visited the area to meet the Garpon (local Tibetan leader) of Ngari. As the Garpon was away, he circumambulated Mount Kailash while studying it. As per Ruttledge,
7719-554: The sacred Panchakshara mantra of Shiva, " Om Namah Shivaya " is chanted throughout the day. Devotees praise Shiva through the recitation of the hymn called the Shiva Chalisa . The Maha Shivaratri is mentioned in several Puranas , particularly the Skanda Purana , Linga Purana , and Padma Purana . These medieval era Shaiva texts present different versions associated with this festival, such as fasting, and offering reverence to
7812-407: The south celestial sphere during pitṛyāṇa . In Hindu tradition, the north celestial sphere is consecrated to the gods (deva) and the south celestial sphere is consecrated to the ancestors (pitṛ). Devayāna and pitṛyāṇa are not in active calendric use any longer but do form the basis for pitṛpakṣa . A ṛtu ( Sanskrit : ऋतु ) is the time taken by the Sun to move sixty degrees on its orbit around
7905-554: The southern margin of the Asia block during subduction of the Tethys oceanic crust before the collision between the Indian and Asian continents . It also consists of sand dunes covering late Eocene volcanic forms interspersed with Cretaceous and Eocene sediments. The Kailash flysch zone extends about 20 km (12 mi) from the mountain and marks the northern end of the Himalayas and
7998-499: The start of the Trans Himalayas. The Trans Himalayan range was formed by the subduction of sediments from the collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates. The flysch zone consists of alternate areas of peridotites , sandy shales, and dolomites , covered by gravel terraces. The mountain itself consists of thick conglomerate rocks sitting on granite . The visible part of the conglomerates extend from 4,700 m (15,400 ft) to
8091-570: The summit". Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner was given the opportunity by the Chinese government to climb the mountain in the mid-1980s. But he reportedly declined, saying "If we conquer this mountain, then we conquer something in people's souls. I would suggest they go and climb something a little harder." In 2001, permission was denied to a Spanish team, who requested to climb the peak. Chinese authorities promised that any climbing activities on Mount Kailash were strictly prohibited. As of 2023 , there have been no known successful ascents of
8184-449: The top with the base located deeper in the mountain. The weather is fairly dry during April to June with day time temperatures of 5 to 17 °C (41 to 63 °F) and night time temperatures of 0 to 6 °C (32 to 43 °F). The temperature starts to decrease in October and winters have much lower day time temperatures ranging from −4 to 0 °C (25 to 32 °F) and further lower in
8277-403: The vicinity of Zeta Piscium ( IAST : revatī), the twelve (i.e. 360° divided by 30°) rāśi are designated meṣa ( Sanskrit : मेष ), vṛṣabha ( Sanskrit : वृषभ ) etc. A sauramāsa ( Sanskrit : सौरमास ) is the time taken by the Sun to traverse a rāśi. Sauramāsa get their names from the corresponding rāśi. sauramāsa corresponds to the concept of a month. The moment in time when the Sun enters a rāśi
8370-436: The vicinity of the region. Mount Kailash is sacred in Hinduism , Buddhism , Jainism and Bon religion . People from India, China, Nepal and other countries in the region undertake a pilgrimage to the mountain. The pilgrimage generally involves trekking towards Lake Mansarovar and a circumambulation of Mount Kailash. While the mountain has been surveyed by climbers in the past, there has been no recorded successful ascent of
8463-526: Was guaranteed by the 1954 Sino-Indian Agreement , access was restricted after the subsequent 1959 Tibetan uprising and the borders were closed after the Sino-Indian War in 1962. After nearly two decades, pilgrimage from India was allowed in 1981 after an agreement between the governments of India and China. The pilgrimage was suspended for three years since 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The route
8556-452: Was opened in 2015 and involves traveling to Gangtok before crossing the Nathu La pass into China. Since 2015, the pilgrimage from Nepal is generally done from the nearby Humla district in northwestern Nepal. The April 2015 Nepal Earthquake resulted in the closure of the border crossing at Tatopani - Zangmu . Pilgrims also pray to Mount Kailash from within Nepal where it is visible from
8649-595: Was re-opened in 2023 with new regulations. Since the reopening of the pilgrimage route from India in 1981, the numbers of pilgrims going on the annual yatra has grown considerably. Before the closure in 2020, several thousand pilgrims from India were going to this pilgrimage every year. Since 2015, aspiring pilgrims from India were required to apply in advance to the Ministry of External Affairs and specific number of passes were issued to pilgrims by computerized random selection with preference given to first timers. In India,
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