Maha Shivaratri is a renowned Hindu festival in India. From Kedarnath and Varanasi in the North to Rameswaram in the South, the festival is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the country.
However, not many know that the festival is also widely celebrated outside India! There are Hindu communities across almost all continents, and these communities come together to celebrate this sacred festival dedicated to Shiva.
Let’s take a look at how Maha Shivaratri is celebrated around the globe.
Maha Shivaratri Celebrations Outside India
1. Festival Of Maha Shivaratri In Nepal
With a significant Hindu population, Nepal shares a lot of cultural similarities with India. Nepal has a number of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, take Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath Temple as an example.
The temple is dedicated to Lord Pashupatinath, a form of Lord Shiva whose name literally translates to ‘Lord of all animals’.
Maha Shivaratri celebrations in Nepal, especially at the Pashupatinath Temple, are quite grand. Millions of devotees, both from within and outside Nepal, visit the temple to seek blessings.
Here are some of the other Shiva temples in Nepal that are definitely worth a visit:
- Halesi Mahadev Temple, Khotang
- Doleshwar Mahadev, Bhaktapur
- Gokarneshwar Mahadev, Kathmandu
- Kailashnath Mahadev, Sanga
- Santaneshwor Mahadev, Lalitpur
2. Maha Shivaratri In Bali
Maha Shivaratri is widely celebrated in Bali, Indonesia, thanks to a significant Balinese Hindu community. The festival is known as ‘Siwa Ratri’ here and follows similar traditions to those in India.
Communities in Bali engage in rituals like fasting and staying awake all night. However, there is an interesting legend associated with Siwa Ratri in Bali that is revered here.
As the folk legend goes, Lubdaka was hunting and got lost in the wilderness. To avoid wild animals, he climbed a tree and began picking and dropping leaves into the pond below to prevent himself from falling asleep.
He stayed awake all night dropping these leaves and chanting the name of Shiva. When he died, Shiva greeted him in his afterlife and erased his bad deeds.
Here are some significant places of Shiva worship in Bali that are definitely worth a visit:
- Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, Candikuning
- Goa Gajah, Gianyar Regency
- Pura Luhur Batukara, Kabupaten Tabanan
3. Festival Of Maha Shivaratri In Mauritius
Mauritius is a country known for its multi-cultural and diverse communities, with Hindus forming a significant part of the population. The Hindu population in Mauritius celebrates Maha Shivaratri at around the same time as it is celebrated in India.
During this period, most devotees embark on a pilgrimage to the sacred Ganga Talao lake in Grand-Bassin. They then offer prayers at the banks of the lake and collect water to take back home.
Mauritian devotees celebrate Maha Shivaratri by observing ten days of abstinence preceding the celebration. Devotees do not consume meat, alcohol, or engage in other worldly pleasures during this time.
The Grand-Bassin pilgrimage is an important Maha Shivaratri pilgrimage outside India, with thousands of devotees participating in it.
Here are some significant Shiva temples in Mauritius that are definitely worth a visit:
- Grand Bassin Hindu Temple, Bois Cheri Road
- Sagar Shiv Mandir Hindu Temple, Poste de Flacq
- Shiv Shakti Temple, Bonne Terre
Cultural Significance Of Maha Shivaratri
The festival of Maha Shivaratri is one of the major Hindu celebrations in India, celebrated on a grand scale in the country.
There are multiple legends associated with Maha Shivaratri, tying it to different stories related to Lord Shiva. One legend says that Shiva executed his cosmic dance, the Tandava.
Another legend goes that this is the day Lord Shiva married Goddess Parvati. One legend also states that Lord Shiva vanquished Tripurasura on the evening of Maha Shivaratri.
Devotees commemorate the day as a day of fasting, meditation, and prayer. They visit Shiva temples, offer milk, bel leaves, and flowers to the ‘shivlingam’, and recite prayers to seek His blessings.
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Summing Up
In this article, we gave you a glimpse of the Maha Shivaratri celebrations outside India. We’ve covered Maha Shivaratri celebrations in Nepal, Bali, and Mauritius, and the cultural significance of this festival. The festival is a prominent celebration not only in India but also in the Hindu communities abroad.
