This year Mahashivratri (Shiva’s Great Night) will be Friday February 24th.
For me this is the first big holiday of the year and Shiva is the God I am most connected to (my ishta devata, if you will), so it’s very meaningful for me. I’m not totally sure how I’ll be celebrating this year. The bhajan group I used to go to usually has an event at someone’s home. I’m still on the mailing list, even though I haven’t gone since Garrick Ravi was born, so I may try to do that. I will do a fast during the day and then in the evening I will either go to a bhajan event or follow a live webcasting of an event. This one looks cool! Or this one! There’s a lot of options now for connecting with live events. Maybe I’ll invite people over to my house and cast one of these. It being on Friday this year is very convenient for that.
Here is a video I did in 2015 to show a Mahashivratri puja:
For lots more information about the festival and how to celebrate, see this post from 2013: Mahashivratri
Here are some prayers for Mahashivratri:
Shiva Prayer
For the devotees of Lord Shiva here is a collection of Lord Shiva Prayers with meaning! Devotees seeking blessings of Lord Shiva must recite Shiv Prarthana with sincerity and faith.
Lord Shiva Prayer – I
Om Sarva Mangal Manglaye Shivay Sarvaarth Sadhike
Sharanye Trayambake Gauri Narayaani Namostu Te
Meaning:
Oh the divine couple Shiva Parvati !
O ! Thee, the protectors of this universe,
Along with Lords Brahma and Vishnu
We pray to You for our well-being, prosperity and the enlightenment of our souls.
-From: http://www.mahashivratri.org/shiva-prayer.html
108 Names
Here are the 108 Names and Titles of Shiva that you can recite as a devotional practice. (From http://www.saivism.net/prayers/108names.asp)
1. AUM SHIVAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Auspicious One
2. AUM MAHESHVARAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Great God Shiva
3. AUM SHAMBHAVE NAMAHA Salutations to the God who exists for our happiness alone
4. AUM PINAKINE NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva, who guards the path of dharma
5. AUM SHASHISHEKHARAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God who wears the crescent moon in his hair
6. AUM VAMADEVAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God who is pleasing and auspicious in every way
7. AUM VIRUPAKSHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God of spotless form
8. AUM KAPARDINE NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord with thickly matted hair
9. AUM NILALOHITAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God splendid as the red sun at daybreak
10. AUM SHANKARAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the source of all prosperity
11. AUM SHULAPANAYE NAMAHA Salutations to the God who carries a spear
12. AUM KHATVANGINE NAMAHA Salutations to the God who carries a knurled club
13. AUM VISHNUVALLABHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva, who is dear to Lord Vishnu
14. AUM SHIPIVISHTAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord whose form emits great rays of light
15. AUM AMBIKANATHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Ambika’s Lord
16. AUM SHRIKANTAYA NAMAHA Salutations to he whose throat is shining blue
17. AUM BHAKTAVATSALAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who loves His devotees like new born calves
18. AUM BHAVAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God who is existence itself
19. AUM SARVAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who is all
20. AUM TRILOKESHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who is the Lord of all the three worlds
21. AUM SHITAKANTHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the primal soul whose throat is deep blue
22. AUM SHIVAPRIYAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the god who is dear to Shakti
23. AUM UGRAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva whose presence is awesAUMe and overwhelming
24. AUM KAPALINE NAMAHA Salutations to the God whose begging bowl is a human skull
25. AUM KAMARAYE NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who conquers all passions
26. AUM ANDHAKASURA SUDANAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who killed the asura Andhaka
27. AUM GANGADHARAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God who holds the Ganges River in his hair
28. AUM LALATAKSHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord whose sport is creation
29. AUM KALAKALAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who is the death of death
30. AUM KRIPANIDHAYE NAMAHA Salutations to the God who is the treasure of cAUMpassion
31. AUM BHIMAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva whose strength is awesAUMe
32. AUM PARASHU HASTAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God who wields an axe in his hands
33. AUM MRIGAPANAYAE NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who looks after the soul in the wilderness
34. AUM JATADHARAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who bears a mass of matted hair
35. AUM KAILASAVASINE NAMAHA Salutations to the God who abides on Mount Kailas
36. AUM KAVACHINE NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who is wrapped in armor
37. AUM KATHORAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who causes all growth
38. AUM TRIPURANTAKAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who destroyed the three demonic cities
39. AUM VRISHANKAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God whose emblem is a bull (Nandi)
40. AUM VRISHABHARUDHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who rides a bull
41. AUM BHASMODDHULITA VIGRAHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord covered with holy ash
42. AUM SAMAPRIYAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God exceedingly fond of hymns frAUM the Sama Veda
43. AUM SVARAMAYAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who creates through sound
44. AUM TRAYIMURTAYE NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who is worshiped in three forms
45. AUM ANISHVARAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the undisputed Lord
46. AUM SARVAGYAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God who knows all things
47. AUM PARAMATMANE NAMAHA Salutations to the Supreme Self
48. AUM SAUMASURAGNI LOCHANAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the light of the eyes of SAUMa, Surya and Agni
49. AUM HAVISHE NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who receives oblations of ghee
50. AUM YAGYAMAYAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the architect of all sacrificial rites
51. AUM SAUMAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Moon-glow of the mystic’s vision
52. AUM PANCHAVAKTRAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God of the five activities
53. AUM SADASHIVAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the eternally auspicious benevolent Shiva
54. AUM VISHVESHVARAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the all-pervading ruler of the cosmos
55. AUM VIRABHADRAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva the foremost of heroes
56. AUM GANANATHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God of the Ganas
57. AUM PRAJAPATAYE NAMAHA Salutations to the Creator
58. AUM HIRANYARETASE NAMAHA Salutations to the God who emanates golden souls
59. AUM DURDHARSHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the unconquerable being
60. AUM GIRISHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the monarch of the holy mountain Kailas
61. AUM GIRISHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord of the Himalayas
62. AUM ANAGHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who can inspire no fear
63. AUM BUJANGABHUSHANAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord adorned with golden snakes
64. AUM BHARGAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the foremost of rishis
65. AUM GIRIDHANVANE NAMAHA Salutations to the God whose weapon is a mountain
66. AUM GIRIPRIYAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who is fond of mountains
67. AUM KRITTIVASASE NAMAHA Salutations to the God who wears clothes of hide
68. AUM PURARATAYE NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who is thoroughly at hAUMe in the wilderness
69. AUM BHAGAVATE NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord of prosperity
70. AUM PRAMATHADHIPAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God who is served by goblins
71. AUM MRITUNJAYAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the conqueror of death
72. AUM SUKSHMATANAVE NAMAHA Salutations to the subtlest of the subtle
73. AUM JAGADVYAPINE NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who fills the whole world
74. AUM JAGADGURAVE NAMAHA Salutations to the guru of all the worlds
75. AUM VYAUMAKESHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God whose hair is the spreading sky above
76. AUM MAHASENAJANAKAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the origin of Mahasena
77. AUM CHARUVIKRAMAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva, the guardian of wandering pilgrims
78. AUM RUDRAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who is fit to be praised
79. AUM BHUTAPATAYE NAMAHA Salutations to the source of living creatures, including the Bhutas, or ghostly creatures
80. AUM STHANAVE NAMAHA Salutations to the firm and immovable deity
81. AUM AHIRBUDHNYAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who waits for the sleeping kundalini
82. AUM DIGAMBARAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva whose robes is the cosmos
83. AUM ASHTAMURTAYE NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who has eight forms
84. AUM ANEKATMANE NAMAHA Salutations to the God who is the one soul
85. AUM SATVIKAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord of boundless energy
86. AUM SHUDDHA VIGRAHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to him who is free of all doubt and dissension
87. AUM SHASHVATAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva, endless and eternal
88. AUM KHANDAPARASHAVE NAMAHA Salutations to the God who cuts through the mind’s despair
89. AUM AJAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the instigator of all that occurs
90. AUM PAPAVIMOCHAKAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who releases all fetters
91. AUM MRIDAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who shows only mercy
92. AUM PASHUPATAYE NAMAHA Salutations to the ruler of all evolving souls, the animals
93. AUM DEVAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the foremost of devas, demigods
94. AUM MAHADEVAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the greatest of the gods
95. AUM AVYAYAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the one never subject to change
96. AUM HARAYE NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who dissolves all bondage
97. AUM PASHUDANTABHIDE NAMAHA Salutations to the one who punished Pushan
98. AUM AVYAGRAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who is steady and unwavering
99. AUM DAKSHADHVARAHARAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the destroyer of Daksha’s conceited sacrifice
100. AUM HARAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who withdraws the cosmos
101. AUM BHAGANETRABHIDE NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who taught Bhaga to see more clearly
102. AUM AVYAKTAYA NAMAHA Salutations to Shiva who is subtle and unseen
103. AUM SAHASRAKSHAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord of limitless forms
104. AUM SAHASRAPADE NAMAHA Salutations to the God who is standing and walking everywhere
105. AUM APAVARGAPRADAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the Lord who gives and takes all things
106. AUM ANANTAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the God who is unending
107. AUM TARAKAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the great liberator of mankind
108. AUM PARAMESHVARAYA NAMAHA Salutations to the great God
Source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/whitehindu/2017/02/mahashivratri-2017-hindu-holiday/