Question

Kashmiri Pandits distribute soaked walnuts on a variant of this festival called Herath. In a story about this festival, a hunter is rewarded for inadvertently honoring it by dropping leaves from a bel tree. This is the most (15[1])common festival on which the Mahāmrityunjaya (“muh-HAHM-rit-YOON-juh-yuh”) Mantra is recited. Pilgrims visit a set of twelve temples including Somnāth and Rameswaram (15[2])(“ruh-MAYSH-vuh-rum”) during this festival, which occurs two weeks before Holi. During this festival, devotees smeared with vibhūti ash engage in night-long jāgaraṇa (“JAH-guh-run-uh”) vigils, during which they recite the five-syllable (*) panchākshara mantra (-5[1])using a japamāla of 108 rudrāksha beads. During this festival, an aniconic, rounded mūrti is given abhisheka as part of linga pūjā to commemorate the anniversary (-5[1])of its central deity dancing the tāṇḍava, drinking halāhala, and marrying (-5[1])Pārvatī. (10[1])For 10 points, name this “Great Night” of Hinduism’s (10[1])god of destruction. ■END■ (10[1]0[12])

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