Maha Shivratri celebration at Shiva Temple, Gandhian Mansehra Kp
Chitti Gatti, Gandhian Mansehra Khyber Pakhtunkhwa- March 8,2024
Maha Shivratri- the ‘Great Night of Shiva’ is an auspicious and one of the most significant Hindu Festivals celebrated annually in honor of Lord Shiva- one of the principal deities of Hinduism known for his role as the destroyer and transformer within the Trimurti. It is considered for receiving Lord Shiva’s blessings and removing karma, and it is believed that the energies of Lord Shiva are most accessible on this night.
Like every year, Maha Shivratri was celebrated with full enthusiasm at Shiva Temple Chitti Gatti, Gandhian Mansehra. According to archeological research Mansehra Shiv Temple is one of the oldest Hindu temples. The ancient Shiva Lingam in the temple is at least 2000 years old. The temple is situated in Chitti Gatti , 15 kilometers from Mansehra in Kp. The Shiva Temple of Mansehra was restored by the Raja of Jammu as an act of devotion. During 1947–48, the temple was forcibly sealed and illegally occupied by some Muslim people.From 1948 till 1998, the temple remained sealed,abandoned and inaccessible to the Hindus. In 1998, Hindus reclaimed the temple. After that,the temple has been partially restored by the Pakistani Hindus.
This year’s Maha Shivratri celebration and puja was arranged by Panchanada. Hindus all over Pakistan including Peshawar,Risalpur, Nowshera, Kohat, Mardan, Rawalpindi, Batgram, Sialkot and Mansehra came to seek positive energies and blessings of Lord Shiva.Pandits from Panchanada Hindu community drew attention towards the mythological history of Maha Shivratri saying that the festival has rich cultural and mythological origins, signifying various important aspects of Lord Shiva. They preached about some of the most prominent tales associated with Maha Shivratri including marriage of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati, Samudra Manthan(Churning of the milky ocean), Shiva tandava(Shiva’s Cosmic Dance) and Shiva Lingam(Shiva’s formless aspect). The puja began in the evening and consisted of four prahar Shiva puja, Shiva Abhishek, Aarti, Shiva Chalisa, Mahamrityunjaya mantra and Om Namah Shivaya chantings.
Devotees of Panchanada Hindu community celebrated Mahashivratri and had a day and night fasting, meditation and overnight prayers with all four prahar’s puja and Shiva Abhishekam. Pandit Darshan said that,” On this day, Shiva manifested as a lingam for the first time”. Devotees observed fasts, performed rituals, and offered milk, water, bel leaves, and fruits to the Shiva Lingam, seeking blessings for well-being and moksha (liberation from the cycle of birth and death). On the occasion, the Pandits and Acharyas from Panchanada Hindu community highlighted the religious significance of this important Hindu Festival.saying that it’s an opportunity to reflect and reconnect with the divine, and embark on a path of spiritual growth. Pandits including Pandit Jay Prakash(Shiv Temple Mansehra), Pandit Rattan Kumar(Risalpur Kp), Pandit Rakesh Chand (Rawalpindi Punjab), Pandit Chaman Lal(Mardan) and Pandit Darshan(Nowshera) performed a havan and puja sponsored by Shrimati Aruna Pal and prayed to Lord Shiva for her good health, wellbeing and prosperity. They also prayed for the bright future and successful life of Ishan Tiwari. Adding to the importance of praying to Lord Shiva on this auspicious day, Pandit Chaman Lal quoted that, “ Praying to Lord Shiva and Devi Paravati on this day is thought to cleanse sins and guide individuals on a path of virtue.” They also expressed their gratitude to Panchanada for its contribution in donating the utensils for the Temple and gifts for the needy women.While expressing his thankfulness, Pandit Rattan Kumar also prayed to lord Shiva for Panchanada and its team members hoping that Panchanada would continue to serve the purpose of cultural and religious revival of Sanatana Dharma
On the occasion, the Hindu Widows, both the young or elderly, appreciated this effort of Panchanada volunteers and expressed their high gratitude towards our donors for lending a helping hand to them. Mrs. Komal Chanda, Program Manager of Panchanada project, expressed her acknowledgement to the team of volunteers who worked hard and remained active on the ground in organizing this Puja and celebration. She can be contacted at contact@panchanada.org for further details.
Mission of Panchanada is to reclaim Punjab for the Hindu civilization. Panchanada’s multi-dimensional effort includes welfare activities in the area of food security, clothing, shelter, health, education, and vocation, and augmented with cultural/religious/spiritual empowerment, civic engagement and leadership development. Panchanada’s cultural renaissance agenda includes promotion of Devanagari script to use with Punjabi language, and revive upasana at Hindu temples that have fallen to disuse in the region. Further information on Panchanada can be obtained from: Komal Chanda | Email: pr@panchanada.org
