The Sri Lakshmi Temple in Ashland, one of the oldest temples in the New England area held a weeklong Shivaratri celebrations that culminated on February 24th, the night of Shivaratri, with many grand celebrations including the most auspicious Shankabhishekam.
Shankha is considered to be very sacred in the Vedic tradition. It is born out of the milky ocean along with Goddess Lakshmi. The space within the conch corresponds to the space where the big bang happens, the space where the constant rejuvenation and new creation happens.
In the Shankhabhishem, water is filled in conches and performing a puja to the water-filled conches energizes the water. After the puja, the water in the conches is offered as a holy bath or Abhisheka to Shiva Linga.
The Agamas – the Vedic manual for Temples – say that performing or offering a Shankhabhishekam to Lord Shiva clears even the deep-rooted Karma that is haunting for many births.
The Temple was filled with devotees on the night of Shivaratri participating in a the various pujas. It was an invigorating experience to be there. The temple expansion is well under way and is expected to complete during the summer.
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