Holi is a festival celebrated on the full moon day of phaalguna. It is predominantly a festival of mirth and merriment without any social barriers. There are atleast three puraanic legends associated with this festival.
The first is the burning of kaama (cupid) by Lord Shiva. Shortly after Sati committed herself to the fire due to the disgrace shown by her father, daksha to Lord Shiva, Shiva became sad and started to meditate. Meanwhile, the daughter of the mountains, Parvati, started meditating to acquire Lord Shiva as the husband. Since Lord Shiva was least interested in the world, all the God became concerned and afraid. They approached Kaama and asked him to shoot his arrow on Lord Shiva so that his kaamic feelings would be evoked and he would marry Parvati. So, Kaama went and shot his arrow but Lord Shiva was angered and opened his third eye and burnt Kaama to ashes. Shiva then looked towards Paarvati and fructified her penance by marrying her. It is this burning of lustful infatuation by penance that is signified in this festival. A short while after this, Kaama's wife pleaded with Lord Shiva and said this was all a plan by the Gods and asked him to kindly revive Kaama's wife. Shiva, the embodiment of love itself, was pleased to do so. Thus the incident had a happy ending.
Holi is also associated with the story of Holika, the sister of demon Hiranyakashipu. The demon-father, having failed in various other ways to make his son Prahlaada denounce Lord Naaraayana, finally asked his sister Holika to take Prahlaada in her lap and enter a blazing fire. Holika, who had a boon to remain unscathed by fire, did her brother's bidding. But Holika's boon ended by this act of supreme sin against the Lord's devotee and was herself burnt to ashes and Prahlaada came out unharmed. Whatever a person has, however strong he/she may be, they cannot harm a true devotee at any circumstance. The festival thus celebrates the truimph of the devotee.
One more legend pertains to another Holika, known as Pootana, who was requested by Krishna's uncle, Kamsa, to go as a charming woman and feed poison to Krishna. So, she dressed herself as a pious woman and went as a charming woman to kill the infant Sri Krishna by feeding him with her poisoned breast. Sri Krishna, however, sucked her blood and she lay dead in all her hideous form. This festival also celebrates the victory of the good over evil. On this festival, an effigy of Kaamadeva or Holika is burned and to display the victory of divinity over demonic forces, colored powders are strewn everywhere.
Any indian festival, including this, has a lot of spiritual significance which escapes an aspirant who reads puraaNic incidents and dismisses them as myth or mere incidents. Fire is the symbol of yajna in which all our bodily desires and propensities are offered in the pure and blazing flame of spiritual enlightenment lit within our hearts. The holika or kaama does not lie outside us, but inside our minds which has to be burned by the Grace of Lord Shiva. Parvati's penance signifies that the usefulness of penance is never lost. aum nama shivaya.
Usually on ekadashi, one should not eat any thing that is above grown above the ground (so, potatoes, etc are OK), but still better is drinking only milk, still better is drinking only water and the best to have nothing and meditate.
You might have heard the story about Durvasa and the king. The king used to observe fast on ekadashii. On the next day of ekadashii, the king was tired and distributed food to everyone (this should be done before eating after the fast). At that time, durvasa came and told him he was hungry and he will come back after he takes a bath. The king waited, and waited but Durvasa never appeared. The king decided to say the name of Vishnu and took a sip of water. Shortly after Durvasa appeared and was angered that the king has broken the fast before feeding him. He cursed the king. But, Vishnu was angered by this and sent his sudarsana chakra to behead durvasa. Durvasa begged Vishnu for forgiveness, but Vishnu said only the king can forgive him. Durvasa, however, ran to the other Gods for help. They were willing to help but when they heard that Vishnu has sent the sudarsana chakra because Durvasa cursed a devotee, they also said only the devotee can fogive durvasa. Finally, durvasa begged the king for forgiveness. For God, the devotee is more important than a sage, in fact, the devotee of God is the higher than Himself (that's how much God values the devotee). There are so many other stories like this.
Gandhiji was rigorous in observing the fast on ekadashii. Spiritually, it is the start of the waning period of the moon in which phase meditation is very easy.
According to legend, Durga sat on the tip of a needle for nine days, doing a severe penance to destroy the evil Asura Mahisha. On the first three days, she meditated as Herself, the next three days as Mahalakshmi and the last three days as Sarasvati. This signifies progression from tamsik, to rajasik to satvik and eventually obtaining liberation. The tenth day in october is called vijayadasami to signify the victory on the day of dasami. Navaratri is celebrated four times a year. They are Ashada Navaratri, the Sharada Navaratri, the Maha Navaratri and the Vasantha Navaratri. Of these, the Sharada Navaratri of the month of Puratashi and the Vasantha Navaratri of the Vasantha kala are very important. If you refer to the agni purana, then it is said that the Puratashi and Panguni (in Tamil months) i.e. Asvin and Chaitra are like the two jaws of Lord Yama. If one wants to escape the mouth of Yama, then one should celebrate Navaratri on these two occassions. A similar analogy is presented in the devi bhagavatam.
Devi bhagavatam also talks in detail on how one should observe fasts, and how one should meditate/work on these days. It is, however, a long tradition that one reads the devi-bhagavatam or the devi mahatmyam (durga saptasati, 700 verses on Durga) during this period. Devi bhagavatam notes that Rama meditated and fasted for nine days after Sita was kidnapped by Ravana. There are numerous such incidents on how people's wishes were granted. This year, Navaratri is from April 8-16 and October 2-10/11. You can find much more details in devi bhagavatam, Book 3, chapter 27-8 and several other places in that book.
Arudhra darshanam is celebrated in late december or early january. Shiva, like all of us, is eternal and never born. Yet, everyone likes to have a birthday. But, like all of us, Shiva has taken so many forms and had so many gross bodies that a single nakshatram had to be determined. Unlike all of us, He was always untouched by maayaa and paasa but took these forms only to please the devotees. It was decided that the thiruvaadhirai nakshaththram in the month of Maarkazi (Maargasira), occuring in Dec-Jan. is an appropriate date. Why ? Because Shiva graced Adhi sesha on that day. Lord Vishnu was lying on the serpent Adhisesha. A. felt that Vishnu was brooding over something and asked him the reason. Vishnu replied that He was enjoying the Dance of Lord Shiva. If Vishnu itself enjoys something, it should be great. Therefore, A. asked how he could also see Shiva dance. Vishnu asked him to go to Chidambaram and do tapas. A. went to Chidambaram and did tapas. Pleased with their prayer the God appeared on the Thiruvaadhirai day and danced in Chidambaram. The Nataraaja image of the Lord is prayed with great devotion this day and celebrated as Arudhra darshanam. Stotra-s special to Lord Nataraja are recited on this day. In this festival abhisheeka of Lord Nataraaja takes place early in the morning and then He is taken around the town.
Though celebrated all over India, it is especially famous in the South India. It is a huge festival in places like Rameswaram, Arunachala and Chidambaram, though Arunachala (thiruvannamalai) is more famous for the thirukartikkai festival. Regarding your question of saiva sects, the main ones are the virashaivism, saiva siddhanta and kashmir shaivism, mostly restricted to Karnataka/Andhra, Tamilnadu and Kashmir, respectively. Please note, though, the philosophies of these sects are different, ranging from qualified non-dualism to non-vedantic non-dualism.
Whatever may be the philosophy one adheres to, seeing the abhiseka either on arudhra darshanam or on shivaratri makes all the emotions drawn towards the Lotus feet of Lord Shiva. If all the feelings at all times are towards the three-eyed eternal one, then one thinks of Him and submits him/herself to the Thief who steals our hearts, is there any doubt of being liberated from the bondage ? For the foot that kicked Yama in the chest, isn't liberating a devotee's bondage child's play ?
Maha Shivaratri is one of the most sacred days for all worshippers of Lord Shiva. It is celebrated on the fourteenth day of the moon's waning (Chaturdashi). Though there is a shivaratri every month, the one in Feb/Mar is of special significance and is called Maha Shivaratri.
On this day, devotees stay awake all night, and perform puja to Lord Shiva in their best possible way. There are many incidents and significances. The following is *only* one such interpretation. Please forgive me for all mis-interpretations and errors.
Lord Shiva manifested himself in the form of a linga as the hill Arunachala. He was first worshipped in this form on Mahashivaratri.
'Ratri' means night. Night is the time we detach ourselves from work in the material life. 'Shiva' is auspiciousness Himself. Shivaratri thus means detaching from our baser instincts and being who we really are - a manifestation of Auspiciousness, Satchitananda.
The subtle power of the moon is linked to the tendencies of the mind. And when the moon is almost gone, this provides an oppurtunity for the aspirant. The moon's emptiness symbolises stillness of the mind. The ever shining Atman, which is covered by the clouds of ignorance in the mind, becomes 'visible.'
Devotion to Lord Shiva on this night is very special and the night long tapas removes avidya. Even if one makes a small effort to recognize Lord Shiva by offering him water, bilva leaves and ash while constantly meditating on the five letters (na ma si va ya), he is rewarded for his efforts.
There is an incident of a hunter who went in to the forest. He was chased by a tiger. Therefore, he climbed up the tree. But the tiger stayed under the tree and wouldn't leave. The tree happened to be a bilva tree with a linga at the foot of the tree. The hunter who was stuck on the top of the tree was unaware of all this, and to while away the boredom, he started picking the bilva leaves from the tree and dropped it unknowingly on the linga throughout the night. Lord Shiva was very pleased with his devotion. Please e-mail me if you want to understand the inner meaning of the whole incident.
Few Pujas with sanskrit slokas can be found in pujas.
Why is water and bilva leaves offered in puja ? There are many reasons. They can also been interpreted spiritually. The idol is inundated with water. Water purifies and washes. It signifies that we are asking that let the water also remove our faults which constitute our ignorance. Leaves smell, and this is called vaasaana. Vaasaana is also an another name for the imprints in the jiva, which constitute the flavor/smell of our personality, habits etc. They are picked up with the right hand and then, the fingers are pointed downward so that they fall at the feet of the idol. The five fingers signify the five senses. The senses which are normally directed outward for pleasure and now pointed downward showing that they are surrendered. Usually, it is placed after uttering 'namaH.' While namaH means salutation, it is also a form of 'na mama' i.e not mine. Thus, when offering, one says, 'I am offering to you my senses, attributes, character but none of them are really mine. Everything is yours.' aum.
Who is Lord Shiva ? Shiva is the supreme reality. Always united with Shakti, He alone turns into many as the Lord of Creation and withdraws Himself to the original state of One as the Lord of Destruction. Thiru-jnana-sambhandar enumerates five qualities of Lord Shiva in his poem, (creation, protection, destruction, hiding, and blessing). He is invisible, unmanifest and Nirguna (formless), but to please his devotees whose mind cannot comprehend His glory, He takes on forms to bless them. Shankara in his lalita trishati bhashya explains this very clearly,
bhaktaanugrahaaka vigraha vattam vinaa devataayaa buddhavanaaropeNa
saguNopaasana vigrahavantah aN^gikartavyaa iti pratishhThaapitam
(If the dieties do not possess forms to bless their devotees, the devotees cannot grasp them mentally and sagunopaasana becomes impossible..)
But how should we worship ? Shankara says in the bhashya on how to worship Lalita,
tathaapi tadapavaada purassaram shuddha chaitanyaabheda
dhyana ruupa mukhya bhajanam mukhya meva
A devotee must meditate only on his oneness with pure awareness in worship.
Is it possible to describe the glory and nature of Shiva ? When Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu have failed, should we even attempt to do that ? That's why a devotee says,
tava tattvam naajaanaami, kidrsosi mahesvara, kyadrosi mahadeva taddrsya namo namaH
Oh Great one, I do not know the Truth about you, or who/what you are. However, let me salute that nature of yours.
When a devotee approaches Ishvara or Ishta-devata with reverence, he thinks he is the body. He has the dehatma-buddhi.
dehaM - body
Man is bitten by the snake of ignorance and thinks himself as limited, ignorant, and suffers from the notion of 'I am the doer.' By surrendering the notion of an individuality due to wise words by sages, he concludes [atleast intellectually],
na ahaM - [body is] not I
But then, if we are not the bodies, then surely Lord Shiva cannot be only the body either. Instead of asking, 'Who is Lord Shiva and what is His nature,' he asks himself,
ko.ahaM - who am I ?
Due to the everpresent grace of Lord Shiva-Shakti and Guru, he realizes [not immediately, of course]
so.ahaM - I am That.
He was always That. A king dreams that he was a beggar. Was he ever a beggar ? No, he only thought he was a beggar. He only realized who he really was (a king) after waking up. Similarly, after one removes the [perceived] avidya, one realizes that 'I am[always was/and always will be] That.' As Lord Rama [of Ramayana] says in the Shiva Purana, 'We are all manifestations of Lord Shiva..'
Thus shrii shankara says in the aatmashhaTakaM
manobuddhyaha.nkaarachittaani naahaM
na cha shrotrajivhe na cha ghraaNanetre .
na cha vyomabhuumiH na tejo na vaayuH
chidaana.ndaruupaH shivo.ahaM shivo.aham.h
I am not the intellect, ego, mind. Neither am I hearing, taste, smell, sight. Nor am I space, earth, light, air, field of consciousness. I am the pure consciousness of bliss. I am Shiva. I am Shiva.
[Shiva here means pure consciousness].
daasaste.ahaM dehadR^ishhTyaa.asmi shaMbho
jaatasteM.asho jiivadR^ishhTyaa tridR^ishhTe |
sarvasyaa.a.atmannaatmadR^ishhTyaa tvameve\-
tyevaM me dhiirnishchitaa sarvashaastraiH ||
Oh Lord ! In the form of body I am your servant. In the form of life, O three-eyed one, I am part of yourself. In the form of soul, you are within me and in every other soul. I have arrived at this conclusion through my intellect and on the authority of the various scriptures.
May Lord Shiva make us aware of His ever-present grace on this holy day of shivaratri. AUM nama shivaya