Shivaraatri Festival
Your online guide to the 2017 Shivaraatri Festival
A simple way to perform the prayer at home
Prayer must be done facing east(Ganesha must face east)
Place a betel leave and nut with a flower and a coin on a medium
size tray.
Place Vinayaga on top of the betel leave.
Offerings of sugar candy avaal kadal, dates, fruit and milk
1 coconut in front of Vinayaga.
Light 5 incense sticks and turn it 3 times clockwise around
Vinayaga.
Vinayaga may be invoked by offering flower petals by chanting the
following mantra
OM GUM GANAPATAYEI NAMAHA OR POTRI 18, 27 or 108 times).
Break the coconut
Turn camphor for Vinayaga 3 times clockwise
How to perform the prayer for the Shiva Lingam
First Jaamam
(6.00PM – 9.00PM) rinse Lingam with water thereafter pour milk, turn camphor, rinse with water, pour rose water, turn camphor. Put 3 stripes with ashes on the head of the Lingam. Place a piece of white cloth over the Lingam and a garland. Light 5 incense sticks and turn. Thereafter offer petals on the Lingam and chant the mantra OM NAMASHIVAYA POTRI OR NAMAHA (108 TIMES). Turn camphor and pray.
Second Jaamam
(9.00PM – 12.00PM) remove everything from Lingam, rinse Lingam with water thereafter pour sour milk, turn camphor, rinse with water, pour rose water, turn camphor. Put 3 stripes with ashes on the head of the Lingam. Place a piece of green cloth over the Lingam and a garland. Light 5 incense sticks and turn. Thereafter offer petals on the Lingam and chant the mantra OM SHIVAYA NAMAOM (108 TIMES). Turn camphor and pray.
Third Jaamam
(12.00PM – 3.00AM) remove everything from Lingam, rinse Lingam with water thereafter pour a little ghee, turn camphor, rinse with water, pour rose water, turn camphor. Put 3 stripes with ashes on the head of the Lingam. Place a piece of red and white cloth over the Lingam and a garland. Light 5 incense sticks and turn. Thereafter offer petals on the Lingam and chant the mantra OM NAMASHIVAYA POTRI OR NAMAHA (108 TIMES). Turn camphor and pray.
The last Jaamam
(3.00AM – 6.00AM) remove everything from Lingam,
rinse Lingam with water thereafter pour a little honey, turn
camphor, rinse with water, pour rose water, turn camphor. Put 3
stripes with ashes on the head of the Lingam. Place a piece of
yellow cloth over the Lingam and a garland. Light 5 incense sticks
and turn. Thereafter offer petals on the Lingam and chant the mantra
OM SHIVAYA NAMAOM (108 TIMES). Turn camphor and pray.
Please note: that the same garland can be used for all 4 Jaamams and
the cloths don’t have to be same as above you can choose your own
colours. Offer prasadam of your choice for each Jaamam.
Closing Prayer
Arut-perum Jothi Arut-perum Jothi Thanip-perum Karunai Arut-perum
Jothi
(The gracious great light, the gracious great light, the unmatched
mercy of GOD as the Great Light).