Must visit temples during Shivarathri
In the Hindu calendar, Maha Shivaratri is one of the holiest days. It falls on the new moon day in the month of Maagha (Masi). It is believed that if one observes a fast, chants mantras and prays Lord Shiva on this day, his/her prayers will definitely be answered. They can be absolved of their sins and get enlightenment.
It is on this night that Lord Shiva performs the cosmic dance of creation, preservation and destruction. Moreover, it is the night in which Goddess Parvathi is wedded to Lord Shiva. It is also identified as the night in which Lord Shiva drinks poison that is emerged during the churning of the ocean to protect the world, and this is the main reason to celebrate this night as a “Thanksgiving night”. Hence, it is appropriate for all the Hindus to offer prayers to Lord Shiva, and it is to be celebrated with grandeur, devotion and love.
Amarnath Temple in Saurashtra, Malikarjuna Temple in Kurnool (Andhra), Maakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain (MadyaPradesh), Omkareshwar Temple in Madyapradesh, Kedaranath Temple in Uttarkhand, Bhimashankar Temple in Maharashtra, Kasi Viswanath Temple in Varanasi, Tribakeshwar Temple in Nashik, Ramanatha Swamy Temple in Tamil nadu, Nagnath Temple in Nanded (Sikh Pilgrimage Centre), Vaidyanath Temple in Deoghar (Jharkhand), Grineshwar Temple in Aurangabad are 12 Jyotirlinga temples in India worth visiting, and at least if one visits these temples on the day of Shivaratri, he/she will get wealth and worldly pleasures that he is entitled.
Brihadeeswarar Temple located in Thanjavur in Tamilnadu, dedicated to Mahadeva Shiva, is a prominent UNESCO site known for its unique architecture. In Kotalingeshwar Temple, near Mysore in Karnataka, the largest lingam in Asia can be worshipped. Lord Murudeshwara, in Karnataka, is the second tallest lingam.
Even if one cannot visit any of the temples, at least if one utters the following “Maaurtyunjay Mantra,” it will yield the desired and expected results:
aum tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭi-vardhanam
urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt.
