Herath (Shivratri)
Kashmir
has been a spiritual seat since ancient times. Kashmiri Pandits are Shaivites
andHerath (Shivratri) is the most important festival of Kashimri Pandit
community who are the ancient and original inhabitants of Kashmir.
This
festival has the same importance in Kashmir as Durga Pooja in Bengal, Ganesh Pooja
in Maharashtra, Ayyapa festival in south India, Holi in the Braja Dham and
Jagannath festival in Orissa.
Herath
(Shivratri) finds its reference in various sacred texts like - ‘Nilmat Puran’
of the sixth century Sanskrit text of Kashmir, 'Shivastrotravali' by Shaivite
philosopher Utpal Dev of the eighth century, 'Tantraloka'and 'Pratyabhijna
Darshnam' by Abhinav Gupt, 'Sivadrashti' by Acharya Somananda and 'Rajtarangni'
by Kalhan which have contributed immensely towards the enrichment of Kashmir
Shaivism.
Shivratri
is called ‘Herath’ in Kashmiri, a word derived from the Sanskrit ‘Hararatri’
the ‘Night of Hara,’ which is another name of Shiva also it is the night of the
Tandava for Shiva, but the grace of the Watuka Bhairava makes that Tandava into
the auspiciousness of higher bliss.
Kashmiri
Pandits worship Lord Shiva in His both forms of Shiva and Shakti. Shakti for us
is the Goddess Raginya, Sharika, Kali or Durga, who are the energy aspects of
Lord Shiva. Worshipping Lord Shiva leads to the cosmic mother, who offers
solace, protection and divine grace to one and all.
Accordingly,
the ultimate Truth or Supreme Reality is Lord Shiva Himself and the whole
creation is His manifestation.Lord Shiva represents the life cycle of living
beings. It is due to this very fact that walnuts are used in the Shivratri Pooja.
Walnuts, known in Kashmiri as 'doonya' is a seed, which in reality represents a
complete life-cycle i.e. the beginning and end of life. It is also a miniature
representation of our universe and is symbolic of our respect for the entire
cosmos. The four kernels of the walnut are also believed to represent the four
directions of the hemisphere and the four Vedas.
Kashmir
Shaivism, also called Trika Shastra is the philosophy of triad, which comprises
Shiva-the Universal consciousness, Shakti-the Divine energy and Nara-the human
soul. Kashmir Shaivism is the exploration and realization of the divinity
within ourselves. Lord Shiva is also known as Mahadeva-the Great God, Triloki
Nath-the Lord of three worlds, Umapati, Gauripati, Parvatipati,
Chandrashekhar-the moon-crested, Gangadhar-the bearer of Ganga, Girisha-the
mountain Lord, Mahakal -the Lord of death, Pashupati-the Lord of beasts and
Vishwanath-the Lord of Universe. HE is the Lord of his spiritual consort, the
Goddess Parvati, which in reality is the cosmic energy. The union of Lord Shiva
with Shakti is Shivratri, also known by the names of Mahashivratri, Kalratri
and Talaratri.
In Kashmir
we celebrate Herath (Sivratri) with the grand ritual of Watuka Pooza. Watuk is actually
word Batuka, the young Bhairava - that is Shiva.
CELEBRATION DATE
Herath
(Shivratri) is celebrated on trayodashi or the thirteenth of the dark half of
the month of Phalguna (February–March) by Kashmiri Hindus and not on
chaturdashi or the fourteenth as is celebrated by Hindus in the rest of the
country. The reason for it is that this long drawn festival that is celebrated
for one full fortnight as an elaborate ritual is associated with the appearance
of Bhairava (Shiva) as a jwala-linga or a linga of flame.
As per a
prevalent belief in Kashmir, the Divine Couple of Lord Shiva, and Goddess
Parvati visit the devotees homes on the night of Mahashivratri and are said to
stay as Divine Guests upto Amavasya, known as 'Doonya Mavas' (15th day of
Phalgun Krishnapaksh).
ORIGIN OF SHIVRATRI
The origin
of Shivratri is attributed to several stories in Hindu mythology.
One very
popular story traces the origin of this festival to the churning of the Ocean
of Milk by devas (gods) and asuras (demons). It is said that when both gods and
demons were churning the Ocean of Milk to obtain amrita (water of immortal
life), they came across many unusual substances, including the deadly poison
Kalakuta. As soon as they touched the poison, it exploded into poisonous fumes
that threatened to envelope the entire universe by darkness. When the
destruction of the universe seemed inevitable, the gods ran for assistance from
Brahma and Vishnu, but neither was able to help. At last they ran to Lord
Shiva, who raised his trident and condensed the fumes. In order to save the
creation, Shiva swallowed the poison without spilling a single drop. The poison
left a dark blue mark on Shiva's throat. The gods praised and worshipped Shiva
for saving the universe.
The
philosophical essence of the above myth is as follows: gods and demons
symbolize all kinds of individuals (both good and bad) in the world. The Ocean
of Milk represents the ideal world that is full of peace and happiness for all
human beings. Churning the Ocean of Milk signifies the human activity in the
world. The amrita symbolizes happiness and the poison represents human greed
and selfishness. Shiva symbolizes the atman (self), the spiritual essence of an
individual. Worship of Shiva denotes meditation and contemplation by an
individual on his or her own self.
The above
story is symbolic of the fact that individuals perform actions in the world in
order to achieve happiness. In this process a person is usually overpowered by
greed and selfishness, ruining his or her efforts for obtaining peace and
happiness. Thus the only way to achieve peace and happiness is by worshipping
Shiva at night, that is, by meditating on one's own self during the night when
the individual is free from the distractions of the physical world. When the
individual attains self-knowledge, he or she can live in the world without
being affected by anger, greed, and selfishness, the three enemies of one's
soul. Shlce Shivratri symbolizes the worship of the atman within, this festival
is celebrated as a purely religious festival by all Hindus, as stated earlier.
According
to sacred texts at this time a forceful natural upsurge of energy is said to
take place in the human system, which advances the process of soul purification
and enlightenment. This energy in combination with the significant planetary
positions help in the upward flow of the energy flow in the human beings. These
energy forces help us to overcome the Karmas and raise one's consciousness
beyond the veil of illusion resulting in the intensification of the spiritual
process.
Another
story in Hindu mythology also emphasizes the auspiciousness of Shivratri: On the
day of Shivratri, a hunter, who had killed many birds in a forest, was chased
by a hungry lion. The hunter climbed a Bilva tree to save himself from the
lion's attack. The lion waited throughout the entire night at the bottom of the
tree for its prey. In order to stay awake to avoid falling from the tree, the
hunter kept plucking the leaves of the Bilva tree and dropping them below. The
leaves fell on a Shiva Linga that happened to be located at the bottom of the
tree. Shiva was pleased by the offering of the Bilva leaves by the hunter,
although inadvertently, and saved the hunter in spite of all the sin the hunter
had committed by killing the birds. This story emphasizes the auspiciousness of
worshipping Shiva with Bilva leaves on Shivratri.
SCHEDULE
Herath
(Shivratri) festival starts on the first day of the dark fortnight of Phalguna,
with cleansing and renovation of the houses and concludes on the Amavasya day
with the distribution of Prasada of Doonya (walnuts)and Chochi Waer (rice flour
roti) after performing theprescribed Pooja.
Day 1
Hur`i
Okdoh: This day marks the beginning of the
fortnight long Herath festival for KashmiriPandits that ends 15 days later on
Amavasya.
Day 1 to Day 6
Hur`i
Okdoh to Hur`i Shiyam: The first day of celebration to the
sixth day is to clean,known as Hur Dalun. Also house as required is painted and
decorateto give it a festive look.
The Pooja room called Thokur Kuth and the front door
called Dar are specially cleaned, one for the pooja and the other to welcome
Shiva and Parvati, whose communion is the real essence of Shivratri.
After Hur`i celebration, Hokh`u Siyun/ dried vegetables
are not cooked as a dish. There is a logic behind it. Since the Watuk Raz is to
be invoked with serenity, thus there should be something new vegetable to be
offered, which could be easily available.
Day 7, 8 and 9
Hur`i
Sattam, Hur`i Atham and Hur`i Navam: The eighth day
called Hur`i Aetham is the day of the
presiding deity of the valley, Maa Sharika. On this day we have Havan at Hari
Parbat and night long Keertan. It is on ' Hur`i -Navum' that ladies especially newly-wed
Kashmiri Pandit brides visit their parental homes.
Day 10
Dyare
Daham (Dashmi): On this day when ladies / newly-wed
Kashmiri Pandit brides return from their parental homes, they bring alongwith
them ‘Herath - bhog’ the 'Kangri' (the traditional fire-pot) with a silver
tsalan dangling behind it, a pack of salt, 'rotis' (bread), new clothes and
some money locally called 'Atagut' as 'Shivratri Shagoun'.
It is on
this day that vegetarian or non-vegetarian food are cooked as per the family
ritual or 'reeth'.
Day 11
Gada Kah (Phagun Gatapach Kah): On the
eleventh Tithi of the Phalguna Krishna Paksha, the Fish is cooked and offered
to the Ishtadeva to seek his blessings for the Anushtthanam / invoking
deliberations of the Wagura on the following day. Wagura is the Tantric net,
which needs to be woven with the Shri Raja Rajeshvari Mantra, which is the
Reshi Dulij of the great event. It is purely Sattvic, as the name Reshi Dulij
suggests. Only vegetarian food, milk and candies are offered to this cosmic
shape of the Divine. The main event is on the Shiva Ratri day deliberations,
according to the Kula Riti/ family tradition.
Day 12
Wager
Baah: It is customary to have Wagur pooja on this
day, which is the first formal pooja of the Shivratri. A small earthenware pot
known as 'Wagur' is installed amidst elaborate rituals in the pooja-room,
locally known as 'Watuk-Kuth'.
At sunset, tie a narivan around a small pitcher
(wagur: the priest: the messenger) and offer tilak. The messenger brings the
good news about Shiva and Parvati visiting next day.
Another tumbler or pitcher is filled with water and
walnuts (called kalusha: the witness: the mind). The priest and kalusha sit on
grass mats. In the evening after performing 'Wagur Pooja', cooked rice,
vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes depending upon one's individual family
'reeth' or ritual are offered to the 'Wagur'.
Watuk Raz Parivar is to be bought from the potter in
the Deity form of Watuk Bhairava, Ram Go`d, Reshi Dulij, Sani-Potul, Khetra
Pal, Dupu Zoor. It was necessarily bought after Hur`i Satam upto Wage`r Baah.
Watuk Parivar needed for the occasion should be preferably
of baked clay. Nowadays brass/steelis also used depending on availability.
Day 13
Herath
(Shivratri): The thirteenth day called Herach Truvah
(trayodashi) is the day of the main pooja. Shiva and Parvati come to stay in
the home. The eldest male in the family keeps a fast and an elderly lady of the
family fills-up the earthen-pitcher designated as 'Watuk-Nout / Ram Go`d' with
fresh water and walnuts, usually 101 or 151. This ritual known as 'Watuk-Barun'
is performed before the sun-set.
The 'Watuk-Nout
/ Ram Go`dis a symbolic representation of Lord Shiva, whileas a other
earthen-pitcher, called 'Reshi Dulij' placed adjacent to the 'Watuk-Nout'
represents the Goddess Parvati.
The
smaller earthenwares such as 'Sanivari/Khetra Pal' (two in number), 'Machvari'
(2-4 in number) a hollow cone-shaped 'Sanipatul' representing lord Shiva and a
'Dhupzoor (an earthen dhoopstand) are suitably placed near the 'Watuk-Nout'.
Sani Patul represents the cosmic creation of the Shiva
Shakti in One Emblem. ‘Sini’ is a Sanskrit word, which refers to the woman
having a white complexion and ‘Putula’ in Sanskrit language means the icon of
Shiva. So Sani-Patul is the Shiva Shakti Eka Rupani /Shiva and Shakti are one
in essence, which is the base of the Kashmiri Herath.
Wusur and A’ir is Prithvi Tattva or the Earthly
existence. Wusur is the Apbhramsha of the word Wasura, which denotes existence
of the Mother earth. That is the reason the Wusur is made of Petchi Diyol, a
special weed of the Dal lake. As Mother earth is both soil and the water. The
dried Petcha grass known as diyol is put in three whirls with a knot, to
represent the Trigunatmak Prakriti of Sattva-Rajas-Tamas.It is placed at the
bottom of the Watuk Raz`u. Ram Go`d, Reshi Dulij and two Khetrapals, the
guardian deities of the great event. Wusur is an offering of garland and A‘ir
is an Asana/seat. It is to invoke the Kundalini Shakti within the aura of Watuk
Raz. The Deities are wrapped properly with the garland. This is the very start
of the Thirty six Tattvas of the Trika Shasana/ Darshanas or popularly
recognized as the Kashmir Shiva Darshan to start with the Prithvi Tattva. The Shasta
/Principal deity of the Five day Pooja is the Watuk Raz`u. The thirty six
Tattvas is the universal Existence of Shiva, where Shakti helps Shiva to
manifest as a universal Spirit. The Watuka Paddhati establishes that fact.
Mystical Diagram
of the Watuka Bhairava:
In every
Kashmiri Pandit Religious Anushthana, we need to invoke the Kalasha Purusha,
with mystic diagrams to be drawn by the Rice flour. The Yantras differ from one
deliberation to another. The Kalasha are of two types. The First is the Brahma
Kalasha and the other is the Indra Kalasha. Brahma Kalasha is purely the
Hiranya garbha, which needs to be invoked through the Atharva Vedic Ganapati
Avahan, followed by the Panchayatan Deva Vedic Suktas of Ganesha, Surya Vishnu,
Shiva and Devi. The Puranic Mantras are also recited during invocation, followe
by the Tantric Bijaksharas. You know it well, that Kalash Doonya is highly
revered and is the First Naivedya after the Hasta Phalam/ Athi Phol’u is
offered and Shanti Mantras are recited. This is known as the Achhidra of the
Deliberationa/Anushthhanam. The walnuts are offered to the Kalasha Purusha,
because Walnut is the Ritu Phalam of Kashmir, which are easily available in the
whole cycle of the year. Offering of Ritu Phalam is purely Puranik in
substance, as it is the fifth step in the Panch Upchara Pooja.
After the Pooja
Mahimnapar is recited. This is one of the favorite prayers with Kashmiri Pandits
(Pushpadanta Mahminaparam) that extols the virtues of Shiva. It was written by
Pushpadanta to appease and pray to Shiva to lift the curse on him for stealing
flowers meant for Shiva’s worship. At the end of the Pooja, all the water used
in the Pooja (nirmaal), flowers, rice cakes offered to Watuk, and any offerings
to the departed are collected and deposited under a shade tree. The eldest
person in the household now can break his fast and the feast is enjoyed.
Day 14
Salaam:
The day following 'Herath' called 'Shiva chaturdashi' is locally known as
'Salam.'Morning pooja is offered to the Watuk. Rice cakes and walnuts are eaten
as Prasad / Naveed.
As part of
the ritual, special vegetarian or non-vegetarian dishes according to one's
family ritual or 'reeth' are offered to the 'Dulij'. On this day, all the
family members and near relatives are given pocket-money called 'Herath-Kharch'
by the head of the family.
During
Shivratri days, playing of indoor-game with the sea-shells, locally called
'Haren-gindun' is a usual practice especially among the children.
Day 15
Doonyaya
Mavas: (walnut Amavasya - day of Parmozun). The day
Shiva and Parvati return to the Himalayas.
Late in
the evening, pooja is performed either on the river bank (Yarbal) or at home as
per the family tradition. The practice of performing pooja of walnuts taken-out
from the 'Watuk-Nout' called as 'Watuk Parmozun'.
Then we
empty the pots, collect water and flowers in a large bucket. Keep the wet
walnuts at home. Later on carry the bucket and empty it under a shade tree. Return
home to enjoy rice cakes and walnuts.
It is a
usual practice in most of the house-holds, who perform pooja at the river-banks
to allow the head of the family to enter the house only after he promises
blessings and boons in the form of health, wealth, education, employment, peace
and prosperity to each and every member of the family.
The
conversation in Kashmiri, which takes place between the head of the family (who
is outside the closed door, and senior lady of the house goes like this, "thuk
or dubh-dubh', kous chuv?, Ram Broor 'Kya Heth?, Anna Heth, Dhana-Heth
Doarkoth, Aurzoo Heth, Vidya, Kar-bar, Te Sokh Sampdha Heth.'
Prasad(Naveed):
Shivratri
'naveed' in the form of water-soaked Doonya (walnuts) and chochi waer (rotis), distributed
among near and dear ones during the period of 'Doonya-Mavas' to Tila-Ashtami,
locally known as 'Tile-Aethum', which falls on Phalgun Shuklapaksh Ashtami.
The walnuts are broken to take the kernel out and
along with chochi waer (rotis) made of rice flour are first offered to the
deity and then taken as prasad.
Day 16 to Day 22
Distribution
of Prasad / Naveed:
From this day begins an arduous task of distributing
the walnuts among friends, relatives and neighbours. The closer the
relationship the larger is the number of walnuts given to them. The highest
number, in hundreds, goes to the in-laws of the newlywed daughters along with noon
(salt), chochi (roti), atagat from her parental home.
Why Walnut?
Walnut is the Rituphal for all religious functions,
where Agni is to be invoked, Kalasha is to be installed, there walnuts are put
in the Kalasha and being sanctified with the Shanti Mantras, Bahuroopa garbha,
Rudra Mantra, as is being practiced in case of the Shiva Ratri. After the Pooja
is over, the ‘Kalash Lav’ is sprinkled with Shanti and Swasti Mantras of the
Vedas, Athifo`l/ Purna Ahuti Samagri is a must. Walnut symbolizes the four
Vedas in one nut. It is the symbol of the Haranyagarbha as well.
Day 23
Tila-Ashtami:
Seven days
after Doonyaya mavas, on the day called Teel Aatham, one lights an adobe lamp outside
the house on the stoop. A number of earthen oil lit lamps are placed at
different places starting from one's home to the river-bank (yarbal) and also
one of the oil lamps is made to float on the river with its base seated on
grass ring or 'arie'.
The day of
'Tila-Ashtami' also signals the end of the severe cold of winter and advent of
the pleasant season of spring, locally known as 'Sonth'. On this day, the
change-over of season is celebrated by children by burning old fire-pots
(Kangris), stuffed with dry grass and tied with long ropes are rotated around
in the air, all the time uttering the words of 'Jateen-Tantah'. It marks the
final good-bye to the holy festival of Mahashivratri or 'Herath'.
Disposal of the residual material i.e.; grass seats of
the Watuk, the flowers and Naervan tied round these pots and other such things into
the river is done on the Tila Ashtami, and this marks the grand finale to this
great festival.
Jotshi
Prem Nath Shastriji audio tape for a relatively simple Watuk-Pooja together
with a Mahimna Stotram can be obtained from Youtube.
Source: Various articles on Herath (Shivratri)
