Maha Shivratri 2022: Vrat Puja Vidhi, Shubh Muhurat, Vrat Katha, Fasting Rules and How to Worship Shiva

Adiyogi, Mahakal, Bholenath, Shiv ji, Shiva and many more names are synonymous with the supreme Lord Shiva. Today marks the holy day of Maha Shivratri, a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of Lord Shiva. According to the Hindu calendar, Maha Shivaratri falls in the month of Phalgun and marks the union of Shiva with Shakti. People across the country celebrate the festival by keeping a fast and worshipping Shiva.

The Mahāmrityunjaya Mantra holds a special significance on the occasion of Maha Shivratri and must be chanted 108 times while doing the pooja.

महा मृतुन्जय मंत्र...

ॐ त्रयम्बकं यजामहे सुगंधिम पुष्टि-वर्धनम उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनं मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात

• To worship Lord Shiva, you will require the following items- Supari, Akshat, Paan, Chandan, Roli, Moli, Doodh, Laung, Elaichi, Dahi, Ghee, Parijat, Honey, Dhatura, Kapoor and Bel Patra. A mixture of these ingredients is used to bathe the Shivling.
• First apply a paste of Chandan on Shivling and then offer Panchamrit (mixture of the above given ingredients). Chant ऊं नमः शिवाय throughout.
• Light a diya while doing the pooja and burn a piece of Kapoor.

Maha Shivratri falls on March 1 this year. The Shubh Muhurat for the festival will start on March 1 at 3:16 am and will end at 1 am on March 2, 2022. Here is a detailed schedule of the muhurat.

• Ratri First Prahar Puja Time – 06:21 PM to 09:27 PM
• Ratri Second Prahar Puja Time – 09:27 PM to 12:33 AM, Mar 02
• Ratri Third Prahar Puja Time – 12:33 AM to 03:39 AM, Mar 02
• Ratri Fourth Prahar Puja Time – 03:39 AM to 06:45 AM, Mar 02
• Chaturdashi Tithi Begins – 03:16 AM on Mar 01, 2022
• Chaturdashi Tithi Ends – 01:00 AM on Mar 02, 2022

The word Maha means grand and Shivratri means a night dedicated to Lord Shiv. As the name suggests, on the occasion of Maha Shivratri, people organize Jagrans (night long bhajans). People sing bhajans, recite Shiv Puran, pay their respect to Mahakal and worship Bhagwan Shiv and Mata Parvati.

Those who are keeping a Maha Shivratri fast can drink water, coconut water, juice and eat fruits, nuts throughout the day.

Those keeping a fast can begin the fast on March 1 and should break their fast on March 2, by having a bath early in the morning and after offering prasad to Lord Shiva.

The 12 popular Jyotirlingas in India attract a lot of devotees on this special day. Here is a list of the famous Shiv temples which are a must-visit for all Shiv devotees.

• Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gir, Gujarat
• Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh
• Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
• Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh
• Baidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deoghar, Jharkhand
• Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra
• Ramanathaswamy Jyotirlinga in Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu
• Nageshwar Jyotirlinga in Dwarka, Gujarat
• Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
• Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga in Nasik, Maharashtra
• Kedarnath Jyotirlinga in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand
• Ghrishneshwar Jyotirlinga in Aurangabad, Maharashtra

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