Bengaluru: As the country gears up to celebrate Maha Shivratri, the wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati on 8th of March, Bengaluru’s biggest Shiva temple- The Shivoham Shiva Temple is gearing up to put up a never seen before spiritual extravaganza. The celebrations that will continue for 24 hours will be a grand spectacle and lakhs of devotees are expected to throng the temple for all-night prayers as part of the Shiv Jagran.
The temple in itself gives the devotees an unmatched Divine experience with its magnificent 65-feet statue of Lord Shiva and a majestic 32-feet-tall idol of Lord Ganesha. The Navgraha Temple, the beautifully recreated Amarnath Paanch Dham Yatra, the Barah Jyotirling Yatra and the Barah Jyotirling Abhishek are other popular attractions that lie within the premises of the temple.
The event will be marked with a Maha Yagna, with a mammoth 6-feet tall Yagna Kund. Accompanied with the chanting of mantras and 24 hours live Bhajans, the spellbinding spectacle will also have a Maha Shivratri Light and Sound Show. The Shiv Aarti, sung every two hours along with other spiritual activities and pujas will keep the devotees immersed in love and devotion for Lord Shiva.
The temple, however, is also more than just a temple of faith as it seeks to help seekers realize the truth about our true self and God— that God is a Power, the Supreme Immortal Power. God does not just live in a temple. God lives within us, in the temple of our heart. According to AiR – Atman in Ravi, the founder of the temple, the day of Maha Shivratri must become a day of awakening, a beacon of light that can lead us to realizing God within. One must evolve from chanting, ‘Om Namah Shivay’ to chanting ‘Shivoham’ – I am Shiva, you are Shiva. We are all Shiva. We are a part of God. The truth is that God is everywhere and in everything. Most of us, unfortunately, are trying to ‘find’ God but we cannot find God, we have to realize God. This year’s Maha Shivratri theme focuses on attaining God — How to realize God?
