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The most feared God of all the Hindu deities is Lord Shiva. He is known in his various forms as Neelkanth, Bholenath, Shankar,
The 108 names of Lord Shiva and their meanings. Ashtottar-shata-naam stotra
| Aashutosh | One who fulfils wishes instantly |
| Aja | Unborn |
| Akshayaguna | God with Limitless Attributes |
| Anagha | Without any faults |
| Anantadrishti | Of Infinite Vision |
| Augadh | One who revels all the time |
| Avyayaprabhu | Imperishable Lord |
| Bhairav | Lord of terror |
| Bhalnetra | One who has an eye in the forehead |
| Bholenath | Kind Hearted Soul |
| Bhooteshwara | Lord of ghosts and evil beings |
| Bhudeva | Lord of the earth |
| Bhutapala | Protector of the ghosts |
| Chandrapal | Master of the moon |
| Chandraprakash | One who has a moon as a crest |
| Dayalu | Compassionate |
| Devadeva | Lord of the lords |
| Dhanadeepa | Lord of wealth |
| Dhyanadeep | Icon of meditation and concentration |
| Dhyutidhara | Lord of brilliance |
| Digambara | Ascetic without clothes |
| Durjaneeya | Difficult to be known |
| Durjaya | Unvanquished |
| Gangadhara | Lord of the River ( One who upholds ganga) |
| Girijapati | Consort of Girija |
| Gunagrahin | Acceptor of Gunas |
| Gurudev | Master of All |
| Hara | Remover of Sins |
| Jagadish | Master of Universe |
| Jaradhishamana | Redeemer from afflictions |
| Jatin | One who has matted hair |
| Kailas | One who bestows peace |
| Kailashadhipati | Lord of mount Kailash |
| Kailashnath | Master of mount Kailash |
| Kamalakshana | Lotus eyed Lord |
| Kantha | Ever radiant |
| Kapalin | One wears a necklace of skulls |
| Khatvangin | One who has the missile in his hand |
| Kundalin | One who wears earrings |
| Lalataksha | One who has an eye in the forehead |
| Lingadhyaksh | Lord of the Lingas |
| Lingaraja | Lord of the Lingas |
| Lokankara | Creator of the three Worlds |
| Lokapal | One who takes care of the world |
| Mahabuddhi | Extremely intelligent |
| Mahadeva | Greatest God |
| Mahakala | Lord of all times |
| Mahamaya | Of great illusions |
| Mahamrityunjay | Great one who has victory over death |
| Mahanidhi | Great Storehouse |
| Mahashaktimaya | One who has boundless energies |
| Mahayogi | Greatest ascetic |
| Mahesha | Supreme Lord |
| Maheshwara | Lord of Gods |
| Nagabhushana | One who has serpents as ornaments |
| Nataraja | King of the art of Dancing |
| Nilkantha | Blue necked Lord |
| Nityasundar | Ever Beautiful |
| Nrityapriya | Lover of Dance |
| Omkara | Creator of OM |
| Palanhaar | One who protects everyone |
| Parameshwara | First among all Gods |
| Paramjyoti | Greatest Splendour |
| Pashupati | Lord of all living beings |
| Pinakin | One who has a bow in his hand |
| Pranava | Originator of the syllable of OM |
| Priyabhakta | Favourite of the devotees |
| Priyadarshana | Of loving vision |
| Pushkara | One who gives nourishment |
| Pushpalochana | One who has eyes like flowers |
| Ravilochana | Having Sun as the eye |
| Rudra | The terrible |
| Rudraksha | One who has eyes like Rudra |
| Sadashiv | Eternal Lord |
| Sanatana | Eternal Lord |
| Sarvacharya | Perceptor of all |
| Sarvashiva | Always pure |
| Sarvatapana | Scorcher of all |
| Sarvayoni | Source of everything |
| Sarveshwara | Lord of all Gods |
| Shambhu | One who bestows prosperity |
| Shankara | One who gives happiness |
| Shiva | Always pure |
| Shoolin | One who has a trident |
| Shrikantha | Of glorious neck |
| Shrutiprakasha | Illuminator of the vedas |
| Shuddhavigraha | One who has a pure body |
| Skandaguru | Preceptor of Skanda |
| Someshwara | Lord of all Gods |
| Sukhada | Bestower of Happiness |
| Suprita | Well pleased |
| Suragana | Having Gods as attendents |
| Sureshwara | Lord of all Gods |
| Swayambhu | Self Manifested |
| Tejaswani | One who spreads Illumination |
| Trilochana | Three eyed Lord |
| Trilokpati | Master of all the three worlds |
| Tripurari | Enemy of Tripura |
| Trishoolin | One who has a trident in his hands |
| Umapati | Consort of Uma |
| Vachaspati | Lord of Speech |
| Vajrahasta | One who has a thunderbolt |
| Varada | Granter of Boons |
| Vedakarta | Originatore of the Vedas |
| Veerbhadra | Supreme Lord of the Nether world |
| Visalaksha | Wide Eyed Lord |
| Vishveshwara | Lord of the Universe |
| Vrishavahana | One who has a bull as his vehicle |
Mahashivratri is celebrated on the 13th night/ 14th day of the Phalgun / Maagh month of the Hindu calender. It is celebrated in honour of Lord Shiva.
Devout Hindus fast on the day of Shivratri and continue fasting till the next day. The night is spent in worshiping Shiva and singing his bhajans, chanting of strotras, aaratis and bhajans. The main items for worshipping are Bael leaves , Ber fruits, raw milk, vermillion, incense sticks, dhoop etc.
A shivling is first washed by pouring water over it , followed by raw milk, vermillion is applied, bael leaves are offered, fruit is offered, and finally incense sticks / dhoop is burned. A small lamp is lighetd and placed near the shivling. A devotee takes 3 or 7 rounds around the shivling and prays to it. Some temples have a provision of a large pot placed high above the shivling , in which devotees pour water and / or milk. This pot has a hole in the bottom , through which a constant drip performs abhishekh ( or offers water) to the shivling.
Once upon a time King Chitrabhanu of the Ikshvaku dynasty, who ruled over the whole of Jambudvipa (India), was observing a fast with his wife, it being the day of Maha Shivaratri. The sage Ashtavakracame on a visit to the court of the king.
The sage asked the king the purpose of his observing the fast. King Chitrabhanu explained that he had a gift of remembering the incidents of his past birth, and in his previous life he had been a hunter in Varanasi and his name was Suswara. His only livelihood was to kill and sell birds and animals. The day before the new moon, while roaming through forests in search of animals, he saw a deer, but before his arrow flew he noticed the deer's family and their sadness at its impending death. So he let it live. He had still not caught anything when he was overtaken by nightfall and climbed a tree for shelter. It happened to be a Bael tree. He did not realize that his water holder had a leak. The water was steadily falling down in drops from the tree, till all the water ran out. Eventually he was both hungry and thirsty. These two torments kept him awake throughout the night, thinking of his poor wife and children who were starving and anxiously waiting for his return. To keep himself awake and safe on the tree he started plucking one leaf at a time and throwing it down from the tree.
The next day he returned home and bought some food for himself and his family. The moment he was about to break his fast a stranger came to him, begging for food. He served the food first to stranger and then had his own.
At the time of his death, he saw two messengers of Lord Shiva, sent to conduct his soul to the abode of Lord Shiva. He learnt then for the first time of the great merit he had earned by unconscious worship of Lord Shiva during the night of Shivaratri. The messengers told him that there had been a Lingam (a symbol for the worship of Shiva) at the bottom of the tree. The leaves he dropped had fallen on the Lingam, in imitation of its ritual worship. The water from his leaky canteen had washed the Lingam (also a ritual action), and he had fasted all day and all night. Thus, he unconsciously had worshipped the Lord. As the conclusion of the tale the King said that he had lived in the abode of the Lord and enjoyed divine bliss for a long time before being reborn as Chitrabhanu. This story is narrated in the Garuda Purana
It is a day of fasting. Some devotees however eat a special meal made with ingredients allowed during fasting days. This is known as a Falahaar meal. It includes fruits, milk and milk products like cream, youghurt, and some special grains and vegetables like raw bananas, sweet potatoes, potatoes, cucumber, groundnuts , coconuts, sago, samaa rice, kuttu flour, singhada flour, rajgira flour.
Some recipes for a falahaari meal
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