Sawan Shivratri 2018: On Shivaratri, devotees bathe before performing Shiva Puja or visiting the temple
Sawan Shivratri is celebrated every year in the month of Sawan of the Hindu calendar. It is believed that by observing Shivratri in the month of Sawan one can attend Moksha, that is emancipation from the cycle of life and death as believed in Hinduism.
Devotees of Lord Shiva wait throughout the year for the Sawan Shivratri. Devotees of Lord Shiva carry water from Ganga and pour it on Shiva idols or Shiva Linga.
This year Sawan Shivratri is on August 9. Also known as Shravan Shivratri, the occasion is popular in north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Bihar.
The occasion is celebrated with much fervor in ancient shrines like Kashi Vishwanath and Badrinath. Shiva devotees visit these Shiva shrines during this pious month and perform gangajal abhishek early in the morning as a sacred ritual.
On Shivaratri, devotees bathe before performing Shiva Puja or visiting the temple. The rituals are performed at night with much fervour and till early in the morning.