Maha shivratri Fasting Rules Procedure What to Eat?: On the auspicious occasion of Shivaratri, or Mahashivratri, Hindu devotees around the world observe Shivratri Vrat or Upvaas or fast. Maha Shivaratri is the wonderful opportunity for the followers of Lord Shiva, to praise the God and seek his blessings. The fasting involves refraining from eating any food and not sleeping through out the night. Sivaratri literally means ‘the night of Lord Shiva’ and unlike other festivals associated with Hinduism there is no fun and merrymaking on the day. But the night provides an opportunity to cleanse the ignorance and realize that you are Brahman and open the door to bliss.
Maha Shivaratri Fasting Rules Customs and Traditions:
The Mahashivratri fasting begins on the morning of Shivratri and ends next day morning or the Amavasya morning. Since it is a long Upvaas or Vrat, many people consume a special meal known as ‘phalar.’ Devotees wake up before sunrise and take bath and wear clean clothes. Most people then visit a nearby Shiva Temple. In most places, Shivratri is largely observed in temples.
The ritual of bathing Shiva Linga with milk and honey takes place in temples of the diety, on the festival. While in the temple, the devotees would sing devotional songs and bhajans, to invoke Lord Shiva. All through the day and night during the festival, they would indulge in chanting of three words ‘Om Namah Shivaya.
What food we can eat while observing Shivaratri Fast?
No meal is eaten after sunset on Shivaratri day. But many people don’t know what to eat on this day. So here we have listed some recipes which you can eat during the fasting. Though many go on a diet of fruits and milk, some do not consume even a drop of water all through the day and night of Shivaratri Festival. Saindha Salt is used in the food prepared for Vrat(Mahashivratri Vrat) and even Black pepper is used instead of Red Chilli. Some people do not even prefer Peanuts in fasts, in this case you can avoid using Peanuts while preparing the following recipes. You can choose any of the following food item to prepare from the given list.
List of Shivratri Recipes:
- Lauki ka halwa
- Thandai
- SagoSaboodana Khichdi
- Cashew Nut Barfi (Kaju Katli)
- Saboodana Kheer
- Green Gram Fry
- Potato Pumpkin Pancakes
- Shivratri Raita
- Aloo Tikki
- Sweet Yam (Chakravelli)
- Pachi Pulusu (Raw Rasam)
- Aloo Khichdi
- Roti made of kuttu flour or singhada (water chestnut) flour.
- (Buttermilk) Kadhi with singhada flour.
- Potato curry, sweet potato chaat, paneer and aloo chaat, sago vacla, potato & kuttu atta
- pakodi in cords, raw banana vadaas.
- Almond’s halwa.
- Porridge made out of saamak along with ingredients like bottlegaurd and paneer.
- Fruits and milk