Mahashivratri held with a bang in the presence of Sadhguru, VP Jagdeep Dhankhar

The Mahashivratri celebrations at Isha Yoga Center transcend language, nationality, religion, and culture, a rare unifying spectacle, and a great need for the present day world,'' said Vice President of India Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, speaking at the 30th Mahashivratri celebrations at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore last evening. 

The Vice President was Isha’s guest of honour for its annual nightlong cultural extravaganza, which began at 6 pm on Friday (March 8) and continued till 6 am on March 9. Dhankhar was accompanied by his wife Dr Sudhesh Dhankhar.

 RN Ravi, Governor of Tamil Nadu, Sri Indrasena Reddy, Governor of Tripura, Shri Banwarilal Purohit, Governor of Punjab, L Murugan, Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, were also present.

Talking about the great night of Shiva, Sadhguru explained that there is a natural upsurge of energy on the night of Mahashivratri, which human beings alone are privileged to make use of because we have a vertical spine. Being at Isha, which is located at 11 degrees latitude, creates maximum centrifugal energy or upward movement, the natural physical force.

The following artistes attended the function:

 Padma Shri Shankar Mahadevan, Vocalist Rathijit Bhattacharjee joined Isha's homegrown band, Sounds of Isha, while adding to the musical tapestry are Dharavi rappers Paradox Tanishq Singh and MC Heam, along with Punjabi folk sensation Gurudas Maan, and the versatile Mahalingam Marimuthu representing Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Telugu folk traditions. Mooralala Marwada, hailing from the Kutch region of Gujarat, brought the essence of folk and Sufi music, complemented by the rhythmic beats of Lebanese drummers, Sodaf Beirut. Carnatic vocalist Sandeep Narayan collaborated with singer Prithvi Gardhav, rendering an unforgettable musical experience for the audience.

Thousands of devotees thronged the Isha Yoga Center for the mega event. In addition, 1,900 international devotees from 72 nations, and over 4,000 volunteers participated in the mega event. The grand spectacle is being broadcast in 22 languages across the globe and is being live streamed by over 200 TV channels and digital platforms. The event was screened on select movie screens.