Maha-Shivaratri (The Great Night to honor Lord Shiva)

Maha-Shivaratri or the Great Night of Shiva is an important festival for meditators and is celebrated to honor Lord Shiva and pray for Him to grant us "Shiva-hood", a state of enlightenment and to discover Him in us.  Legend says that this is the night when Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati were married.  It is also said that Lord Shiva performed his cosmic dance "Tandava" for dissolution (withdrawal, or absorption) of the universe to begin creation again, on this night.  Swami Rama celebrated Maha-Shivaratri by observing night long vigil, performing sacred ceremonies to "enliven" the Shiva shrine at the ashram in Rishikesh followed by visiting certain temples in the area to perform ceremonies there to "re-charge" the spiritual energy in those temples.  That tradition was continued by Swami Veda Bharati and is now carried on by Swami Ritavan in Sadhaka Grama ashram in exactly the same manner.

This year,…