15 February 2026, Bengaluru: Picture this- a collective of over a million devotees share moments of resounding stillness as they are guided into one of the most powerful meditations by the global spiritual master Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, beaming in ethereal bliss, on the auspicious night of Maha Shivaratri, making for a vision to behold.
As curtains came down on the grand Maha Shivaratri celebrations at The Art of Living International Center, visitors carried home memories of a special immersive evening filled with soul-stirring music, deeply transformative meditations in the presence of Gurudev, and Vedic ceremonies as sacred chants filled the atmosphere with positivity, bliss, and celebration.
“Mahashivratri is when the spirit lifts above the material world to something ethereal,” Gurudev shared, “Shiva is present in every particle. The very nature of our consciousness is Shiva. To be immersed in Shiva is devotion, and to see Shiva in everyone is service. That which is imperishable is within us. If we even have this much faith, we become joyful. There will be no lack in life. It is believed that if you participate in Shivratri with devotion and love, then all your desires anyway get fulfilled.” “How does Mahakaal manifest? “He shines as the light within the hearts of yogis,” Gurudev said.
The central highlight of the evening was the sacred Rudra Puja, a powerful Vedic ceremony dedicated to the worship of Lord Rudra, the benevolent form of Lord Shiva. The Rudra Puja invokes the transformative energy of Shiva, symbolizing the dissolution of negativity and the awakening of higher consciousness. Rooted in ancient Vedic chants from the Sri Rudram, the ritual is believed to purify the environment, elevate collective consciousness, and bring peace, prosperity, and well-being to individuals and society. The Rudra Puja was also organized across 150 locations in India and overseas, including in Canada, Dubai, Germany, among others.
The celebrations at the Ashram were also special as attendees had the rare opportunity to have Darshan of the recently found relics of the original Somnath Jyotirlingam, believed to have been destroyed in the attacks by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026 CE.
The powerful chanting of Rudram verses, Vedic rituals, and soulful singing had visitors from 50 countries as diverse as Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Malaysia, Thailand, Bulgaria, Arab nations, China, among countries from Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, dancing, singing, and meditating as one consciousness as the evening proceeded.
80-year-old Ankei, an Art of Living teacher from the Netherlands who was visiting the ashram for the first time, shared, “The atmosphere was very joyful here, the people are so nice, so beautiful, and helpful. My eyes filled up with tears when I saw Gurudev arrive for the Puja. That was a very happy and fulfilling moment for me.” Olga from Russia, who has been associated with The Art of Living for 20 years, said, ”It’s like coming home. I feel energized and relaxed here and will take the same energy and joy back to my country and share with people there.” Isabelle, a Dutch citizen who was also in Ashram for the first time, shared, “I absolutely love it here. The atmosphere is charged with devotion and energy, and look at all the plants and animals, the music, and Gurudev’s presence adds magic to all of this!”
Over 3 lakh Mahaprasadam meals were served throughout the day, prepared using over 15 tons of vegetables, by thousands of Art of Living volunteers. The ashram was also the centre of auspiciousness as over two dozen Vedic weddings and Shashti Purti ceremonies got solemnized in the presence of Gurudev on this day.
Apart from the offline event, in a record-breaking development, over a lakh people joined the celebrations online through the live webcast from 120 countries.
