Political leaders extend Maha Shivratri wishes, pray for prosperity of country, citizens

New Delhi [India], March 1 : Political leaders on Tuesday extended wishes to all on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri and prayed for the prosperity of the country and its citizens.
Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Best wishes to all of you on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivaratri. May the God of gods, Mahadev blesses everyone. Om Namah Shivay."
Union Minister Amit Shah prayed for everyone's welfare and the prosperity of the country.
"Hearty greetings to all the citizens on the auspicious occasion of "Maha Shivratri". I pray to Dev-adhidev Mahadev for the welfare of all and prosperity of the country. Om Namah Shivay!" he tweeted.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Jagat Prakash Nadda also took to the microblogging website to extend wishes and said, "Hearty greetings to all the citizens on the auspicious occasion of "Mahashivratri". I pray to Mahadev for the prosperity and prosperity of the country. Om Namah Shivaya."
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla participated in a Maha Shivratri programme in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore.
Birla also shared a shloka on Twitter, and said, "Best wishes to all the citizens on the occasion of Mahashivratri. May the welfare of the whole world be with the blessings of Lord Bholenath and Mother Parvati. Har Har Mahadev"
On the occasion, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami offered prayers at the Bankhandi temple.
"Hearty greetings to all the citizens on the holy festival of Mahashivratri, dedicated to the worship of Devadhidev Mahadev," he tweeted.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath offered Maha Shivaratri prayers at the Gorakhnath temple.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also wished all a happy Maha Shivratri.
"Shiva is gentle. Shiva is courage. Shiva is the truth. Happy Maha Shivratri," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra offered prayers at Sihari Shiva temple in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow.

She also shared a shloka on Twitter and said, "Wishing you all a very Happy Mahashivratri. Devadhidev Mahadev, Lord Shiva in the form of truth bless everyone."

Meanwhile, devotees across India thronged temples of Lord Shiva to offer prayers on one of the most auspicious festivals of Hindus, Maha Shivaratri.

In Maharashtra, devotees offered prayers at the Trimbakeshwar Jyotirling Temple in Nashik. While Bhubaneswar's Lingaraj Temple also witnessed a heavy rush of devotees.

It's believed that while there is a Shivaratri every lunisolar month of the Hindu calendar, the Maha Shivaratri happens only once every year, in February/March, when winter comes to an end and spring and summer begin.
Out of the 12 Shivaratris observed in any given year, Maha Shivaratri is considered especially auspicious, as it is supposed to be the night of convergence of Shiva and Shakti, which in essence means the male and feminine energies, that keeps the world in balance. Shiva and Shakti are revered as the embodiment of love, energy, and unity.
Maha Shivaratri is observed in several states of India like Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Bihar.
On this auspicious day, followers and devotees of Lord Shiva observe fast and special puja is performed in several temples across the world. They offer milk to the Shivalinga and pray for Moksha.
Several devotees pray the whole night, chant mantras in praise of Lord Shiva. Besides the celebrations of the marriage of Shiva and Shakti, unmarried women pray and observe fasts on the day to wish for a partner as compassionate as Lord Shiva. On this day, fairs and cultural programmes are also organized in various temples.
It is believed that those people who perform puja, fast, and offer prayers to Lord Shiva are blessed with good luck. Many people also think that Maha Shivaratri fast reminds devotees that pride, ego and falsehood lead to downfall only. Also, this is a day when positivity wins over negativity.