NEW DELHI — Millions of worshippers across India are coming together to celebrate Shivaratri, a festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the principal gods in Hinduism.
Devotees partake in various rituals at temples, including pouring water or milk over the Shiva linga, a stone representation of the deity. Many choose to observe a fast throughout the day and spend the night engaged in singing and dancing to devotional songs.
In some temples, Hindu holy men, known as Sadhus, participate in unique traditions during this festival. They may use marijuana, a substance typically illegal, but allowed during Shivaratri, and cover their bodies with ash as a sign of devotion.
The festival is widely celebrated in neighboring Nepal, particularly at the Pashupati temple, where many Indian Hindus, who represent around 80% of the nation’s 1.4 billion people, travel to join the festivities.
This year, Shivaratri coincides with the concluding day of the Maha Kumbh festival, a significant religious event that occurs every 12 years. The festival began on January 13, and reports indicate that over 500 million people have participated so far.
Tragically, at least 30 people lost their lives in a stampede during the festival last month, amid the tremendous crowds gathered to bathe in the sacred rivers.
Hindus believe that bathing at the meeting point of the Ganges, Yamuna, and the mythic Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj cleanses them of sins and frees them from the cycle of rebirth, adding a deep spiritual meaning to the gatherings.
