From the archive record
Hindu priests chant Mantras while a devotee rings the holy bell at Sree Vinayaka Mandir in Sarojini Nagar in New Delhi. See the priest pours milk over Shiv Linga and Nandi. The Hindu priests perform Mahashivratri ceremony. Following the rituals prescribed in the Shiva Purana, every three hours, Shivalingam is given a special bath with milk, yogurt, honey, sandalwood paste and rose water. Puja, meditation and chanting of ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ accompany the ritual bath. Following the bath, the vermilion paste is applied on the linga. Traditionally, leaves of a forest tree Aegle marmelos (bilwa, maredu, wood apple) are used for Shiva puja. Thereafter, Bilwa leaves, which have to be a stalk with three leaves, is kept on top of the Shivalinga. Ber or jujube fruit is a special offering to the god o