Maha Shivaratri is set to be celebrated by Hindus all over the world on February 18, 2023. It literally translates to "the great night of Shiva" and is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm by the Hindu community. According to the Hindu calendar, it is celebrated on the 13th night and 14th day of February, during Phalguna or Maagh. It's that time of year again when Shiva devotees appease him by praying, fasting, and offering a bevvy of fruits and flowers. Lakhs of devotees flock to spiritual destinations such as the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, the Somnath Temple in Gujarat, and Varanasi to offer their prayers or to take a spiritualistic bath in the Ganges by the ghat and atone for their sins and seek Lord Shiva's blessings.
In other parts of the country, people resort to other ways to appease Lord Shiva. One such way is by offering raw milk to the Shivlingam. The practice of offering milk to Lord Shiva has a long history, with almost every Hindu kid knowing the same. But did you ever think about the reason behind this age-old practice?
As part of Maha Shivaratri’s Abhishekam, the Shiva linga—which is a signifier of Shiva’s abundant power—is given a ritualistic bath where the devotees bathe the linga with milk, honey, ghee, curd, and sandalwood paste while chanting ‘Om Namah Shivay." Traditionally, bael leaves, which have to be a stalk with three leaves, are kept on top of the linga. Besides, seasonal fruits like ber or jujube are also part of the special offering on Maha Shivaratri.
As per Hindu scriptures, Lord Shiva is believed to be an ardent lover of milk, which is why devotees all across the world come together on Maha Shivaratri to offer milk and fruits for him in abundance. However, legend has it that pouring milk on the linga is an act of purification of the soul. Other stories indicate that it is offered for its soothing effects on the hot-tempered deity. While most people keep a fast on Maha Shivaratri, milk-based dishes like kheer, curd, ghee barfis, laddoos, etc. are popularly consumed to break their fast or otherwise.
Religious Symbolism
During the popular Samudra Mathan episode, when Lord Shiva took the divine responsibility of saving the world and swallowed all of the deadly poison Kalakatoom, it is said that the devatas performed Ganga abhishekam, a ritual where holy water from the river Ganga was poured on Lord Shiva to calm the enormous toxic level of the poison. The milk abhishekam done by Shiva devotees is believed to be a symbolic representation of the epic episode helmed by the devatas to express their gratitude to the mighty Lord Shiva.