Maha Shivratri, which literally means the ‘Great Night of Shiva’, is one of the major festivals dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is celebrated on the 13th night/14th day of the new moon in the month of Phalguna (February/March) according to the Hindu calendar.
The festival commemorates the night when Shiva performed the heavenly dance of creation, preservation and destruction. It is believed that on this auspicious night, Lord Shiva joins his devotees in an eternal dance and grants them salvation.
Devotees observe a day-long fast and pray throughout the night at Shiva temples, especially at the 12 Jyotirlinga sites. Special pujas and rituals are performed at the Jyotirlingas on Maha Shivratri. Devotees gather in large numbers at the Jyotirlinga shrines to seek blessings from Lord Shiva.
The Maha Shivratri festival is celebrated with great fervor at the following Jyotirlinga temples:
- Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gujarat
- Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra
- Trimbakeshwar Jyotirlinga in Maharashtra
- Kedarnath Jyotirlinga in Uttarakhand
- Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Madhya Pradesh
- Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga in Madhya Pradesh
- Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga in Andhra Pradesh
- Rameshwaram Jyotirlinga in Tamil Nadu
- And others
Special pujas, homas, abhishekams, and rituals are performed throughout the night at these Jyotirlinga temples on Maha Shivratri. Devotees gather in large numbers to seek blessings from Lord Shiva, considered to be at his most powerful form on this auspicious night.
So in short, the Maha Shivratri festival is strongly associated with the Jyotirlingas and is celebrated with great devotion and fervor at all the 12 Jyotirlinga temples across India.
Hope this helps explain the festival associated with the Jyotirlingas! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jyotirlinga
- https://www.india.com/travel/articles/12-jyotirlingas-of-lord-shiva-know-the-significance-location-and-history-mahashivratri-2022-4478785/
- https://godofsmallthing.com/jyotirlinga-in-india/
