Join Us for Maha Sivaratri!
Om Namah Sivaya! Please join us as we worship Lord Siva during the divine Maha Sivaratri Mahotsavam. Following Siva Kalasa Puja, Homam, Abhishekam and Alankaram, eleven different Sivalingas will be established and worshiped throughout the night. Kalasa Sthapanam, Rudra Homam, Abhishekam and Alankaram will be offered along with the unique offering of Rudra Ghana Patham. (For sponsorship information, please see below.)
True to our Temple tradition, everyone who comes will have the chance to participate in the Sivalinga worship at least once during the night.
All present will also have the chance to offer the sacred bilva leaves to Lord Siva. Bilva leaves contain trace amounts of mercury, and this is one reason why it is so auspicious to offer the leaves to Lord Siva.
In order to fulfill the sacred Maha Sivaratri vratam, worship will be performed in all four quarters of the night, and the program will conclude just after sunrise.
Sponsorships and Blessed Prasadam
If you would like to help sponsor the festival, please click on the button below to view available sponsorships. Sponsorships help to cover the cost of fruits, milk, ghee, flowers and garlands offered during the puja and abhishekam. In gratitude for your kind offering, we will give you blessed and energized prasadam from the event.
For those interested in sitting for Kalasa Puja, please call the Temple at 585-533-1970. Spots are limited, so please call well in advance to reserve your spot.
For some sponsorships, we will include your name in the sankalpam chanted before the event. The sankalpam is a Sanskrit statement recited before any major puja or homa. When your name is recited in the sankalpam, it creates a subtle energetic bond between you and the puja or homa, bringing divine blessings to you and your family.
All sponsors receive blessed and energized prasadam from the event. Blessed prasadam usually includes small packets of kumkum and/or vibhuti as well as special items like a blessed thread, yajna raksha, or other holy items. Please read the sponsorship descriptions carefully to understand whether sankalpam is included and what kind of prasadam will be given. If you are not able to attend the festival physically, the prasadam will be mailed to you.
Spiritual Significance of Maha Sivaratri
For devotees of Lord Siva, Maha Sivaratri is the most sacred night of the year. Sri Chaitanyananda (Aiya) has said that on this night, all the granthis, or knots, in the sushumna nadi are completely open and ready to receive divine energy. Normally they are closed and do not allow too much energy to enter, but when they open on this powerful night, a tremendous flood of spiritual energy and blessings comes into our minds, our hearts and our lives.
Devotees around the world take this rare opportunity to meditate, chant holy mantras, and worship Lord Siva for peace, healing and every auspicious blessing. At the Sri Vidya Temple, worship will be offered to Lord Siva during the entire night, with the chanting of the most auspicious Sri Rudram.
Puja will be offered to the main lapis lazuli Siva Lingam as well as the other ten special types of Siva Lingas. Each type of lingam generates a particular spiritual energy and provides a special blessing through Lord Siva’s loving grace. When they are all worshipped together, a rare energy floods the entire atmosphere, filling all the devotees with the golden light of Lord Siva’s pure consciousness and radiant sakti.
The worship of Lord Siva removes karma, purifies the mind, and brings the blessings of excellent health, peace of mind, inner purity, and deep meditation.
Suggested Dress Code for Maha Sivaratri
In honor of the sacredness of Maha Sivaratri, it’s recommended that all devotees wear traditional clothes: veshti with angavastram or kurta pajama, and sari or half-sari. Ideally, the clothes would be cotton or silk and in auspicious colors (not black). Some of the most auspicious colors include white, gold, sandalwood tan, emerald green, turquoise, red, etc. Black is not considered auspicious for pujas or homas because it attracts a different kind of energy.
Wearing auspicious clothes along with rudraksha, vibhuti and kumkumam prepares the mind and body to worship Lord Siva and receive the maximum blessings on this most holy of nights.
