Grand celebration of Mahashivratri at the Art of Living International Center, devotees gather in the presence of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Bengaluru (The Uttam Hindu): A large number of devotees gathered at the Art of Living International Center in Bengaluru to celebrate the holy occasion of Mahashivratri. The event was held in the presence of global spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, where devotees participated in meditation, prayers, and traditional rituals throughout the night.

The Mahashivratri programme included guided meditation sessions, devotional music, and Vedic chanting, creating a peaceful and spiritual atmosphere across the campus. Devotees from India and several other countries attended the celebration, while many more joined the event through live online streaming.

Addressing the gathering, Gurudev said that Mahashivratri is a time when the human mind naturally moves towards silence and higher awareness. He explained that devotion is being immersed in Shiva, and service is seeing Shiva in everyone. He added that faith in the eternal presence within oneself removes all feelings of lack from life.

A major highlight of the evening was the Rudra Puja, a powerful Vedic ritual dedicated to Lord Shiva. The ritual, performed with the chanting of Shri Rudram, is believed to purify the environment and promote peace and positive energy. The same puja was simultaneously conducted at more than 150 locations across India and abroad, including Canada, Dubai, and Germany.

This year’s celebration was special as devotees were given rare darshan of ancient remains of the original Somnath Jyotirlinga, which is believed to have been damaged during Mahmud Ghazni’s invasion in 1026 AD.

Devotees from countries such as Brazil, Russia, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Thailand, and several European and Middle Eastern nations took part in the event. Many participants shared that the atmosphere felt deeply spiritual and energising.

During the day, more than three lakh devotees were served Mahaprasad, prepared using over 15 tonnes of vegetables with the support of thousands of volunteers. Several marriages were also solemnised at the ashram following Vedic traditions in the presence of Gurudev.

Along with the on-ground programme, millions of people across the world joined the Mahashivratri celebration online, making it a truly global spiritual event.