Varanasi: Thousands of Naga Sanyasis, all smeared in ashes and wearing tilaks, danced and sang in a frenzy. Carrying tridents, they chanted 'Har Har Mahadev' with foreign devotees playing 'baraatis' in the marriage of Baba Vishwanath, who rode on a chariot. He was gorgeously dressed as a groom as the sound of percussion and musical instruments created an ambience of a marriage, etched in divine fervour. The fragrance of incense wafted in the air to create an atmosphere of a divine marriage.
Varanasi presented a unique spectacle at the 'Shiv baraat' on Wednesday. Baba Vishwanath and Maa Parvati were married in Mahashivratri. Before this, Baba Vishwanath was adorned with a sehra, a crown, while Maa Parvati wore a red-coloured lehenga brought from Mathura.
Bhog was offered to Baba after the special aarti. Performing the 350-year-old folk tradition at the residence of the former Mahant at Teedi Neem, Pandit Vachaspati Tiwari performed the marriage of Baba Vishwanath and Maa Parvati. First, an approximately 400-year-old Sphatik Shivling was placed on a brass plate amid the chanting of mantras and invitation of all the gods and goddesses to attend the marriage of Lord Shiva. Thereafter, Baba Vishwanath was offered fruits through a special Aarti. Marriage songs were also sung on this occasion. After that, Baba Vishwanath's marriage started during the 'Mahanisha' of Mahashivratri.
5 km-long queue of devotees
On Mahashivratri, lakhs of devotees stood in a queue of about 5 km to attend Baba Vishwanath's marriage and take his blessings. From morning till midnight, about 9,07,435 devotees took Baba's blessings by visiting him. On the other hand, Baba Vishwanath's darshan started at 2 am on Wednesday after Mangala Aarti. It continued uninterrupted till 1 am on Thursday. In the morning, Naga monks from different Akharas took out processions.
After this, darshan started for common visitors. Devotees reached the temple premises from different gates and took Baba Vishwanath's blessings. On this occasion, Baba Vishwanath's wonderful procession came out in Banaras.
On the occasion of Mahashivratri, first prahar aarti was held in the court of Baba Vishwanath at 1:30 in the night. Baba was worshipped with 'shodashopachar' or 16 types of ingredients. Theareafter, a grand aarti started before Baba's doors were again opened for the devotees to have darshan.
