On Mondays, people shower Lord Shiva with all the prayers and love. It is said that pleasing Lord Shiva is extremely easy. Hence, people usually fast for the whole day and offer special prayers to the Lord for a blissful life.
Preparation:
The fasting, once started, must be continued for 16 weeks. When one observes the fast, they must first wake up early every Monday morning. After completing the morning ablutions, they must first clean the altar or Mandir. Once clean, light diyas with gingelly oil. Decorate the idol or the picture of Lord Shiva using Chandan and colorful flowers. While you are offering beautiful flowers to Lord Shiva, keep chanting the Lord’s name. You can chant ‘Om Namah Shivay’.
Before concluding the pooja, one must offer, betel leaves, coconut, fresh fruits, and a sweet dish that is freshly made at home using very fine ingredients. Always remember, when you are cooking for the Lord, you must always commence once you take your bath and never try to taste it, it must remain untouched till you offer it to Lord Shiva.
Today, there are very many online puja stores to make things easier for you. This way, you are offered a vast variety and can choose the best ingredients. Also, it is extremely time-saving. Even if you are in the office, you can buy all the puja items easily.
Ingredient and Procedure:
You can perform Monday prayers even if you are not fasting. For this, the procedure is a little different. You will need; Shiv Ling, milk, honey, water, curds, ghee, sugar, bilva leaves, Chandan, flowers, vibhuti, oil, diyas and incense sticks. As mentioned, before you begin the prayers, you must cleanse yourself thoroughly. You can recite mantras like Shiva Bija Mantra, Maha mrityunjay mantra etc. First, light the lamp and burn the incense sticks. Then, offer fresh fruits and adorn Lord Shiva with flowers. After the mantras, give the idol of Lord Shiva a bath with water and then perform Panchamrit Abhisheka. For this, mix honey, sugar, ghee, curd, and milk (this is the panchamrit). Finally, offer the panchamrit to all the family members. One can buy puja samagri online if you are not able to find all these ingredients in your nearby market.
Benefits:
Praying to Lord Shiva is extremely beneficial. Shiva protects you from all the negativity and keeps Shani away. It will also keep you healthy and prevent any major diseases or problems. If you are trying to advance in your career, Lord Shiva will help you attain all the professional success. It is said that fasting for 16 weeks will also help you find the husband of your dreams.
For a successful and harmonious marriage, offer Lord Shiva your prayers. He, the mighty Lord, always offers his support and strength when pleased with you. Hence, whenever you are in a difficult situation, Shiva will surely help you get rid of all your troubles and give you that much-needed courage to face the world.
When you offer your Monday prayers regularly, it will help you achieve Moksha or salvation in your afterlife and help you achieve peace.
Vasant Panchami is a widely celebrated puja in several parts of the Indian subcontinent. People celebrate it with great fervour while keeping the age old rituals of the same quite intact. It happens to be a celebration of togetherness, love as well as the onset of education in many infant lives.