Pres Ali calls for barriers to progress be dismantled – as Hindus observe Maha Shivaratri

Thousands of Hindus across the country on Friday joined the grand celebration of Maha Shivaratri – a day when the deity Lord Shiva is honoured for saving the world from destruction, marking the overcoming of darkness and ignorance.
Guyana Times attended the observance at the Guyana Sevashram Sangha at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara (ECD), attended by President Dr Irfaan Ali.
Around the world, the occasion is celebrated in grandeur as worshippers spend time in penance and prayers. The Cove and John Ashram is one of the largest congregations of Hindus for the celebration of Maha Shivaratri.
It is said that Shiva embodies the destroyer of evil, and Maha Shivaratri translates to “Great Night of Shiva”. The name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance or Tandav. Ultimately, Shiva, also known as Mahadeva, is considered the destroyer in the Hindu Trinity.

He is also revered as the god of yoga and meditation, since he is constantly in a meditative state. In observance of the auspicious occasion, devotees of Shiva stay awake the entire night chanting and offering prayers at the auspicious times.
Devotees who strictly observe fasting and other penances are believed to receive liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
Swami Shivashankarananda shared during the celebrations, “Shivaratri is a major festival within Hinduism, because it marks the remembrance of overcoming darkness and ignorance in the world. During this day, worshippers observe the day by remembering Lord Shiva, chanting prayers, fasting, doing meditation and other self-restrains. Honesty, kindness to others, forgiveness, and the discovery of Shiva are the primary focus and ultimate goal.”
During the observance, President Ali opined that the lessons of this celebration hold value for everyone, as it inspires reflection and change.
“The story of Maha Shivaratri is relevant to every single human being across the world. The elements of Maha Shivaratri, what this period signifies, the type of hope, selfless act, but more importantly, the type of reflection and changes that it inspires us to go after and to be is what is exactly needed in a very troubled world today,” he declared.
In keeping with the undertones of the celebration, President Ali called for that which has been destroyed to be replaced with transformation. As such, he called for all barriers which are limiting progress to be eradicated.
He underscored, “Sometimes we believe in getting rid of what is bad, but if you get rid of what is bad and evil and you don’t spend time to keep the good in place and experiment with the good that you have in place and maybe bring back the evil in a worse form. It is recognising that we have to destroy evil forces, evil actions, evil thoughts, evil attributes, evil ideas and then as we destroy, we transform. Build what is good.”
The Guyanese Leader added, “Let us purposefully commit to the unity of each other, upliftment of each other, embodiment of each other, removal of all barriers of progress, removal of all barriers that can keep us back. Let us cleanse our attitude, our focus and our intentions, and let us build stronger.”
He added that with the festival once again coinciding with Ramadan and Lent, it gives “us as a people that special privilege of coming together in spirituality, coming together in selfless acts, coming together for a greater good, coming together under the banner of being better humans and better citizens”.
In the Hindu calendar, there are 12 Shivaratris (nights of Shiva) in every year – one per lunar month. There is one Great Shivaratri, called Maha Shivaratri, that falls somewhere between February and March, depending on the lunar calendar.
Different accounts have described the significance of Maha Shivaratri. While it is regarded as the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance of creation, preservation and destruction, another story identifies that it was the day he married Goddess Parvati. Another adds that Lord Shiva had consumed the poison that was produced due to the war between gods and demons. He held the poison in his throat, which caused it to turn blue. (G12)