Maha Shivaratri in Kerala
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The Maha Shivaratri is a religious festival of the Hindus celebrated by the Hindu people of Kerala. The literal meaning of the word is the great night of Siva. It is held on the Krishna Chathurdasi day. It generally falls in the month of February or March.
Legend behind Shivaratri :
There are two myths related to Shivaratri. King Daksha doesn’t invite his daughter Sati and her husband Shiva to a yagnya, a holy sacrifice. When Sati visits the yagnya she is insulted by his father and she jumps into the fire of the yagnya to end her life. To unleash his fury Lord Shiva performs the violent dance known as Taandav Nitrya. Shiva then destroys the kingdom of Daksha and as a penance he takes shelter at the Himalayas. The Gods fear that Shiva’s penance might bring a sad end to the world and so they give new life to Sati in the new avatar of Parvati. Shiva and Parvati get united again and this reunion is celebrated as the Maha Shivaratri.
The other myth says that on the day of Maha Shivaratri Shiva proves his supremacy of power over Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma.
Most of the Hindus who celebrate this festival keep fast on the day of Shivaratri. People visit the Shiva temples and worship Lord Shiva.
Sivarathri at Alluva Shiva Temple :
Sivarathri festival celebrated at Alluva Shiva temple is quite synonymous with the gaiety of the festivals like Ashtami at Vaikom, Pooram at Thrissur etc. This festival is celebrated on the bank of River Periyar. The lingam of Shiva here arises out of the sand of the River. Thousand of Devotees come to this Shiva temple at the time of Shivaratri festival. The festival is complemented by shows, dance.
