Isha Yoga Center is gearing up to host Mahashivratri – one of the largest and most significant sacred festival nights in India. For the first time, participants will largely join the event online as Isha has heavily restricted entry due to COVID protocols. Medical screening, social distancing, wearing masks, and carrying sanitizers have also been made mandatory in addition to compliance with all government directives for in-person gatherings. 

The event will be live-streamed at isha.sadhguru.org/msr in English and 11 Indian languages. Millions of devotees from across the globe are expected to join the festive fervour online on March 11. The night-long festivities will see explosive meditations by Sadhguru including the most eagerly awaited mid-night meditation at 11:40 pm. There will also be spectacular musical performances by distinguished artists – Kabir Cafe, Kutle Khan project, Sandeep Narayan, Mangli, Parthiv Gohil, Anthony Dasan, Sounds of Isha and dance performances by the students of Isha Samskriti. The award-winning Adiyogi DivyaDarshanam, a spectacular light and sound show showing the origin of Yoga, will also be showcased during the auspicious night.

The festival provides a unique opportunity to draw on the forces of nature for one’s well-being. Sadhguru, Founder, Isha Foundation, says that the Mahashivratri night’s planetary positions are such that there is a natural upsurge of energy in the human system. It is thus enormously beneficial for one’s physical and spiritual wellbeing to remain awake, conscious and keep the spine erect throughout the night.

Here’s a look at some of the offerings for Mahashivratri:

Yaksha

Yaksha is a three day music and dance festival before Mahashivratri that will see Hindustani musical performance from fromKaushiki Chakraborty, Carnatic musical performance by Sandeep Narayan, and "Sāroopyam" Bharatanatyam dance performance by Isha Samskriti. The event will be live streamed from March 8-10 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm on Isha Foundation’s Youtube channel.

Rudraksha Diksha

The word “Rudraksha” literally means “Tears of Shiva”.  Over 1 million Rudraksha beads, energized by Sadhguru, will be offered free of cost to seekers along with materials that would support them in their sadhana. To receive Rudraksha Diksha, register here https://mahashivarathri.org/en/rudraksha-diksha Isha Mahashivratri event sets the ideal ambience for the unfolding of an intense spiritual experience. The festival is of great importance for people who are on the spiritual path, and also for people with careers and in families. Sadhguru says, “May this night just  not be a night
of wakefulness, but a night of awakening for you.”

About Mahashivratri

Mahashivaratri is significant because of the immense spiritual benefits it offers due to natural planetary positions. On this night, the northern hemisphere of the planet is positioned such that there is a natural upsurge of energy in the human system, pushing one towards their spiritual peak. It is therefore considered important to stay awake with the spine erect to benefit from this natural upsurge of energy. The forces of the night are agnostic to faith or religion making Mahashivaratri a universally significant night for all human beings, especially those on the spiritual path.