ISSUE
Friday, August 22, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 73
Organised by the Christchurch Fiji Association, and attended by more than100 people from across communities of Indian origin, the Garden City saw one of the grander celebrations of Maha Shivratri last week at the Bromley Community Centre.
The festival – which marks the convergence of divine powers of Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti by virtue of their marriage as well as the occasion when Lord Shiva performed his celestial dance Tandav – is observed on the sixth night of the Hindu calendar's Phalgun month.
Giving details of the event, Vinesh Prakash, Secretary of the Christchurch Fiji Association, said, “It's a very popular festival in Fiji, and devotees observe a day-long fast and offer fruits, flowers and bel leaves on the Shivaling.
Ritual baths of Shivaling with milk is also a very important ritual of the festival. While in Christchurch we perform an abridged version of the rituals involved, in Fiji, the celebrations continue throughout the night, with devotees singing Shiv bhajans all night long. Here, our evening-long celebrations included a havan, reciting of Shiv chalisa, and sharing of Shiv-Parvati stories. ”
Moving forward, the association is planning for Holi celebrations Fiji style in March, which includes the very Fijian tradition of faag (holi-related folk songs) mandalis, which visit homes of friends and relatives, exchanging sweets, applying colours and playing music.
Organised by the Christchurch Fiji Association, and attended by more than100 people from across communities of Indian origin, the Garden City saw one of the grander celebrations of Maha Shivratri last week at the Bromley Community Centre.
The festival – which marks the convergence of divine powers...
Organised by the Christchurch Fiji Association, and attended by more than100 people from across communities of Indian origin, the Garden City saw one of the grander celebrations of Maha Shivratri last week at the Bromley Community Centre.
The festival – which marks the convergence of divine powers of Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti by virtue of their marriage as well as the occasion when Lord Shiva performed his celestial dance Tandav – is observed on the sixth night of the Hindu calendar's Phalgun month.
Giving details of the event, Vinesh Prakash, Secretary of the Christchurch Fiji Association, said, “It's a very popular festival in Fiji, and devotees observe a day-long fast and offer fruits, flowers and bel leaves on the Shivaling.
Ritual baths of Shivaling with milk is also a very important ritual of the festival. While in Christchurch we perform an abridged version of the rituals involved, in Fiji, the celebrations continue throughout the night, with devotees singing Shiv bhajans all night long. Here, our evening-long celebrations included a havan, reciting of Shiv chalisa, and sharing of Shiv-Parvati stories. ”
Moving forward, the association is planning for Holi celebrations Fiji style in March, which includes the very Fijian tradition of faag (holi-related folk songs) mandalis, which visit homes of friends and relatives, exchanging sweets, applying colours and playing music.
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