President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday, joined the Isha Mahashivratri Festival as the Guest of Honour at Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore.
President Droupadi Murmu was the Isha’s Guest of Honour for its annual nightlong cultural extravaganza at the Isha Yoga Centre.

Addressing the Isha Maha Shivratri celebrations, President Murmu said, “I feel especially blessed today to be here on the holy occasion of Mahashivaratri in the presence of Adiyogi.”

“Lord Shiva is a deity for all, as he appears in his various manifestations matching each of us. He is the first yogi, the Adiyogi, and he also the first jnani who, for example, is said to have inspired Panini’s grammar system, one of the tallest intellectual achievements of humankind,” she said.

The President said that Lord Shiva is a benevolent deity, and yet in countless myths, he has also depicted as the ultimate fearsome deity, as revealed in another name for him, ‘Rudra’.

“This way, he is the symbol of both kinds of energies, creative and destructive. He, indeed, transcends such pairs of opposites, because his destructive drive is also creative, leading to the regeneration and rejuvenation of the cosmos,” she further said.

President Murmu added that Lord Shiva appears in the form of ardh-narishwar also, half male and half female, which points to the masculine and feminine sides of every human being and is an expression of the ideal of balancing the two.

“Mahashivaratri marks the end of winter and the beginning of sunny days in most parts of India. Mahashivaratri thus also marks the end of darkness – the darkness of ignorance and opens the path to enlightenment. For those in search of higher ideals of life, today is an especially significant occasion. Today, the world remains as torn in strife as ever, but it is also facing an unprecedented ecological crisis. The need for a balanced and compassionate life, in harmony with Mother Nature and all its children, was never felt so pressing as it does today. May this Mahashivaratri dispel darkness inside us and lead us all to a more fulfilling and flourishing life,” she said.

Other than the President, Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and Tamil Nadu Minister Thiru Mano Thangaraj were also present at the occasion.

The President was received by Sadhguru at the Yoga Centre, where she attended the Pancha Bhutha Kriya (cleansing of the five elements) conducted by Sadhguru at the Dhyanalinga. It is considered a unique and powerful energy form consecrated by Sadhguru as a doorway to liberation.

Welcoming the President to the event, Sadhguru said, “Our deep gratitude to Madam President of India for being here with us on this auspicious day”.

She was then accompanied to the Mahashivaratri venue- at the iconic Adiyogi- where she lit the Mahayoga Yagna to symbolize the spread of Yoga around the world.

Sadhguru said “In the next 24 months, we are committed to bringing a simple form of Yoga to at least 2 billion people on the planet. This needs to happen for the wellbeing of humanity.”

Referring to the significance of Mahashivaratri, Sadhguru said, “This is a day for everyone to commit themselves to become genuine seekers, seekers of truth, the seekers of solutions for life, both outside and inward.”

The Isha’s popular annual event was thronged by tens of thousands of people.
The event began at 6 pm on Saturday and will go on till 6 am on Sunday.