–Livestreaming of Isha Mahashivratri 2024 from the 112 ft. tall Adiyogi statue venue at Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore was held in all its grandeur in Govt. College of Education, Sector 20, Chandigarh during the intervening night of 8th & 9th March, by Isha volunteers.
About 500 devotees from across the tricity took this opportunity to witness & participate in the night long celebrations which included enthralling music, dance & cultural performances by eminent artists interspersed with spiritual practices, discourses & powerful meditation sessions by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev.
This year, the Isha Mahashivratri festival in Coimbatore was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Sh. Jagdeep Dhankhar.
In Chandigarh, renowned educator Dr. Sapna Nanda, Principal, Government College of Education, Sh. Rakesh Kumar Popli, Additional Director, Dept. of Tourism & Cultural Affairs, Punjab and Sh. R. R. Mishra, Hindi Officer, O/o Accountant General (A&E), Punjab graced the occasion with their presence and lit the inaugural lamps.
On the significance of Mahashivratri, Sadhguru has often stated that during this night there is a natural upsurge of energy in the human system and one can reap tremendous physical & spiritual benefits if one is awake, alert & aware with their spine erect throughout the night.
The exuberant nightlong festival set an ideal ambience for tricity seekers to experience this phenomenon.
The festival began with the Panch Bhuta Aaraadhana – which is aimed at purification of the five elements within — at the Dhyanalinga Temple followed by Linga Bhairavi Devi Maha Yatra to Adiyogi. Panch Bhuta Aaraadhana was also attended by the Vice President.
The much-anticipated midnight meditation session guided by Sadhguru was one of the most enriching experiences of the night as told by many of the participants. Meditation sessions were also held during Brahma Mahurtam (twilight time before the sunrise) and in the morning.
Among the other key highlights of the celebrations were the spellbinding live performances by renowned artists including Shankar Mahadevan, Gurdas Maan, Sandeep Naryan, Pawandeep Rajan, Rathijit Bhattacharjee, Mahalingam, Prithvi Gandharv, Muralal Marwada, Thallica Project along with Isha’s own homegrown Sounds of Isha band & Project Samskriti. The event also featured new age rappers like Paradox, MC Heem and Dharavi Project.
Project Samskriti showcased one of its kind genre-defying dance performances that were a fusion of Kalaripayattu (Indian martial arts), classical dance and fire stunts, which left the audience in complete awe.
The tricity participants also particularly revelled in the blend of classical and contemporary songs by Shankar Mahadevan, contemporary energising rap by Paradox and of course in the mesmerising performance by our own Gurdas Maan. The SaveSoil theme song & ‘Amor’ song performed by the French ensemble, Project Thalica also resonated with the audience here & gathered a huge round of applause.
The volunteers offered Annadaanam – sacred offering of food including fasting food to all the participants present at the Sector 20 venue. They had also set up fun games and art stalls to keep the participants enthused & engaged throughout. The celebrations began at 6 PM on the 8th of March and concluded at 6 am on the 9th of March. There were no fees or charges of any kind to take part in the event.
