Isha Foundation celebrates Mahashivarathri 2013

Coimbatore, Mar 11 (IBNS) Coimbatore based Isha Foundation, a non-profit, spiritual organization, celebrated the sacred night of Mahashivarathri on Sunday at the Isha Yoga Center at the foothills of the Velliangiri Mountains.

 Over 8 lakh people from all parts of the world gathered at the Center to participate in a nightlong Sathsang with Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.

 Sadhguru's discourses and meditations were interspersed with musical performances by Raghu Dixit and his popular folk rock band the Raghu Dixit Project, Anita Ratnam, classical and contemporary dancer and choreographer, and Aruna Sairam, eminent Carnatic vocalist.

The celebrations began at 5.40 pm at the Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple with Sadhguru conducting the Pancha BhutaAradhana ?an  opportunity to cleanse the five elements of the body which leads to health and well-being.

At the celebration grounds, the festivities began with chanting followed by Sadhguru leading the audience through several preparatory spiritual processes.

At the stroke of midnight Sadhguru initiated the huge gathering into a very powerful meditation which is the most looked forward to event of the night.

Cultural and musical performances were held in between meditations and discourses. Annadhanam (a free offering of food)was served to hundreds of thousands of people on this auspicious night. The celebrations culminated at 6 am with a meditation by Sadhguru.

Mahashivarathri is one of the biggest and most significant of the sacred festival nights of India.

This, the darkest night of the year, celebrates the Grace of Shiva, who is considered the Adi (first) Guru from whom the yogic tradition originates.

The planetary positions on this night are such that there is a powerful natural upsurge of energy in the human system.

It is enormously beneficial for one's physical and spiritual wellbeing to stay awake and aware in a vertical position throughout the night.

In addition, the benefit of any spiritual practices performed on this night multiply many-fold. It is for this reason that in the yogic tradition it is said that one should not sleep on the night of Mahashivarathri.

This night was also celebrated at over 150 centers in India and across the world.

---