Organised at the Balmoral Temple in Sandringham, Bharatiya Mandir’s Maha Shivratri celebrations saw more than 2000 devotees lined up for hours on the evening on February 25 to attend the special prayers.
Shivratri is celebrated on the 13/14th moonless night in the month of Phalgun or Maagh every year. The celebration marks the marriage anniversary of Lord Shiva and Parvati. On this day, devotees observe a day-long fast.
Bhartiya Mandir has been celebrating this auspicious day for the last 22 years. Acharya Shri Upendrabhai Joshi conducted the Shivratri prayer along with Pt Govind Prasad Sharma.
Clad in ethnic dresses, men, women, and children attended the celebrations at the temple, with a thali (plate) of fruits, bael leaves, sandalwood powder, kumkum, and milk bottles. Devotees applied kumkum, and placed flowers on the lingam. A special part of the Shivratri prayer ceremony is pouring milk on the Shiva Lingam called dugdhabhishekam, which signifies the devotees’ love and affection towards the deity.
Every devotee participated in the Shiva Lingam dugdhabhishekam, and most of them stayed back to chant and offer prayers alongside the priest.
The Brahma Kumari group of New Zealand also presented a four feet tall ice Shiva Lingam and placed it at the temple.
Brahma Kumari Group of New Zealand at Maha Shivratri celebrations at Balmoral Temple (Pic: IWK)
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