The Brahma Kumaris will celebrate the Maha Shivaratri Festival in Auckland and Wellington with Trimurti Shiv Darshan.
Shivaratri is one of the main festivals celebrated by Hindus in India, marking the arrival of Lord Shiva (the Supreme Power) on earth. The belief is that Lord Shiva comes in the night (ratri) of ignorance and asks his devotees to perform ‘Jagran’ and ‘Upvas.’
While Jagran denotes awakening from the sleep of ignorance, ‘Upavas’ is the combination of ‘Up’ (closer to) and ‘vas’ (to live).
‘Upvas’ therefore means to live closer to God.
Some believe that it was on the auspicious night of Shivaratri that Lord Shiva performed the ‘Tandava,’ the Dance of the Primal Creation, Preservation and Destruction. Another popular theory is that Lord Shiva manifested himself in his original form on Mahashivaratri (‘Linga Purana’).
Devotees of Lord Shiva believe that sincere worship on this auspicious day, absolves them of all sins and liberates them from the cycle of birth and death.
Trimurti Shiv Darshan means ‘Glimpse of three forms of Shiva or God.’
Amarnath, Somnath and Rameshwaram are three well-known and important spiritual pilgrimage places in India and it is said that one must visit shrines as pilgrims at least once in their lifetime.
As many Indians who now live in New Zealand may not get the chance to make these pilgrimages in India, the Brahma Kumaris is bringing this experience to them.
Amarnath is located on Mount Amarnath, in Kashmir, India. Inside the Amarnath cave is an ice stalagmite, which resembles a Shiva Linga.
Somnath Temple is located in the Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval on the Western coast of Gujarat. Known as ‘The Shrine Eternal,’ it is considered the most sacred of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines of the God Shiva.
Ramanathaswamy Temple is a famous Hindu place of worship dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is located in Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu.
Trimurti Shiv Darshan
Auckland: Auckland Indian Association Dining Hall, 145 New North Road, Eden Terrace on Sunday, March 6 from 9 am to 8 pm. Phone (09) 5795646
Email: auckland@nz.bkwsu.org for more details
Wellington: Indian Community Hall, Corner of Udy and Nelson Streets, on Sunday March 13 from 9am to 8pm. Phone (04) 5670699; Email: wellington@nz.bkwsu.org
The above article was sent by the Brahma Kumaris of New Zealand.
