MahaShivaratri Celebration in Taiping, Malaysia

Om Namah Shivay

"Śhiva is a god of ambiguity and paradox," Whose attributes include opposing themes. The ambivalent nature of this deity is apparent in some of his names and the stories told about him and also the various forms and shapes in which he is represented and worshipped.

To see these various attributes, I travelled to Taiping on 20^th February 2012, to celebrate MahaShivratri in Sri Navaneetha Krishna Temple, which was built by the Federated Malay states Railway employees in 1883. 

It is one of the oldest and biggest temples in the district of Larut Matang and Selama. It’s unique architecture is unlike the temple structures in other parts in Malaysia or even in India. The temple structure is a Ceyloni structure from SriLanka, built by the workers recruited from SriLanka to built the first railway line from Taiping to Port Welda (Kuala Sepatang).

Apart from anthropomorphic images of Shiva, the worship of Shiva is done in the form of a lingam, or linga,. One common form is the shape of a vertical rounded column. Shiva means auspiciousness and linga means a sign or a symbol. Hence, the Shivalinga is regarded as a "symbol of the great God of the universe who is all-auspiciousness". Shiva also means "one in whom the whole creation sleeps after dissolution".  Linga also means the same thing—a place where created objects get dissolved during the disintegration of the created universe. According to Hinduism, it is the same god that creates, sustains and withdraws the universe, the Shivalinga represents symbolically God Himself.

 The duality of Shiva's fearful and auspicious attributes appears in contrasted names.

The name Rudra (Sanskrit: रुद्र) reflects his fearsome aspects. According to traditional etymologies, the Sanskrit name Rudra is derived from the root rud-, which means "to cry, howl". adjectival form raudra, which means "wild, of rudra nature", and translates the name Rudra as "the wild one" or "the fierce god". In contrast, the name Śaṇkara (Sanskrit: शङ्कर), "beneficent" or "conferring happiness" reflects his benign form. This name was adopted by the great Vedanta philosopher  Shankar (c. 788-820 CE), who is also known as Shankaracharya. The name Śambhu (Sanskrit: शम्भु), "causing happiness", also reflects this benign aspect.

Shiva is also depicted as “Natraj” or Lord of dance. His association with dance and music is prominent which enhances his multi- personality. The two most common forms of the dance are the Tandava, which later came to denote the powerful and masculine dance as Kala-Mahakala associated with the destruction of the world. When it requires the world or universe to be destroyed, Lord Śiva does it by the tāṇḍav-nṛitya. 

Else Lasya, which is graceful and delicate and expresses emotions on a gentle level and is considered the feminine dance attributed to the goddess Parvati.  Lasya is regarded as the female counterpart of Tandava. The Tandava-Lasya dances are associated with the destruction-creation of the world.

Dakṣiṇāmūrti describes a form of Shiva facing south. This form represents Shiva in his aspect as a teacher of yoga, music, and wisdom and giving exposition on the shastra.

The Puja in the Temple at Taiping, Malaysia began at eight in the morning with the Shiva and his ride, Nandi’s abhisekh. First the Shivalinga and Nadi’s structure were washed by water, followed by haldi, bhasam (ash), curd, honey and ghee, finally cleansed by milk and water. The mantra Om Namah Shivay was chanted continuously. The devotees also perform the Milk and water abhisekh, it’s quite an elaborate and lengthy process. During the anointing or abhisekh the ingredients for abhisekh have their own significance like milk gives long life, ghee is for moksha, curd, for healthy children and honey is considered most sacred which helps to derive benefits of having worshipped all Deavas at one go. The Pradosha Puja is one of the most important pooja performed to Lord Shiva, on the occasion of Mahashivratri in Taiping temple.

Then Mahadev and Nandi then are decorated with Garland and new Angvastram. This whole process takes about four hours. After a short break, in the evening Mahadev with Nandi takes a rath yatra. The Puja is celebrated with great devotion by the Hindu’s of Malaysia. The Hindu citizens of Malaysia as well as the Expatriate group from India and Sri-Lanka assemble to offer their prayers to the Lord Shiva.

Finally the celebration of Mahashivratri’s essence lies in offering prayer to this multi-personality and women seek his blessings in finding the right groom for them, as Shiva is the only God who has given his counterpart an equal status. Shiva is represented as shakti and shakti is masculine and feminine. The masculine part is Shiva and the feminine part is Parvati or Sati or Uma.

Thus Shiva is the ideal lord, cause he can make a strong distinction between himself and animality, between morality and immorality, between values and valuelessness, between life and death.

And the blog got the eyes of the publisher- Vedanta Kesari