The temple was decorated with thousands of flickering diyas (mps) and vibrant flower garnds. It felt nothing short of Deepawali except the firecrackers. The air was rich with the aroma of incense and the sound of flute and sitar.

  The temple courtyard was filled with people. Delegates who decided to remain where all present on the venue along with other selective court officials. They occupied the front rows, directly facing the grand altar where the primary rituals would take pce. Behind them, devotee civilians, eager to participate or witness the festival were given space amidst the tight security and temporary barricades.

  As Prince Aditya arrived at the temple complex, his assigned butler, Suresh Pal, guided him to his reserved seat at front.

  He noted the Crown Prince Randip was not present yet but was called upon by his friend Prince Pratap, who appealed to him to sit beside him at the corner.

  "Prince Aditya!" Pratap called out with grace. "It's quite rare to see you making time for us common folk. Please join me here; the view would be good."

  Aditya accepted with a smile. "Well, anything for a friend," he replied, dismissing Suresh Pal.

  Pratap, with a pyful tone, asked, "If you truly consider me a friend, may I ask you something?"

  Intrigued by Pratap's curiosity, Aditya nodded. Pratap inquired if there was something going on between Aditya and Princess Meenakshi. Aditya brushed off the question with a light-hearted comment, and their conversation continued, deepening their bond and understanding.

  Their discussion shifted to the test rumors about Vishwa Gajapati's failed attempts with Uma Devi and suggestions for Pratap to address Princess Arundhati's current displeasure with him. The conversation was lively and filled with friendly banter.

  Soon, Diego joined them, taking the free seat beside Aditya, and that ceased their private discussion.

  In an attempt to curry favor, Diego started the greetings with fttery, and Aditya returned the gesture with his glib tongue. Despite being from another religion, Diego was very curious about the festivals where people were enjoying so much, and he took this opportune moment to inquire more about the rituals and the festival.

  He asked with curiosity, "Your Highness, if you may allow me, I would like to ask you the significance of the Shiva linga (pronunciation wise) and your god Shiva?"

  Aditya thoughtfully replied, "Lord Shiva is one of the trinity gods of our religion. He is also known as the god of destruction. However, he has two forms. One is the serene saint indulged in meditation, which can give a blissful feeling upon approach, and we call him Bholenath—the god who gives everything for being kind with no judgment."

  Seeing Diego nodding in understanding, he added, "And the other form is the Tandav form, when he unleashes destruction, and you would not like to see. We call that form Rudra. We also call him Mahadev, meaning the supreme deity."

  Diego commented, "So he is the supreme among all your gods and the linga?"

  Aditya replied with a smile, "Linga means symbol. Any parabolic-shaped stone in that position and situation is revered as Lord Shiva in sadhana (meditation), and so we call it Shiva linga."

  Diego thought for a moment to understand and then asked, "And why parabolic and not another shape? Does it have any significance?"

  Aditya smiled as he replied, "Well, I have heard many tales for that reasoning. In the Saura Purana, a sage named Narada received a reply from our other trinity god that this is an element that gives intense happiness and is a pure form of Lord Shiva's manifestation. However, it is beyond the feelings of lust and longing, and one needs to be spiritually motivated to get a glimpse of it.

  Another tale, which I don't remember the source of, states that when Lord Brahma, the god of creation, became very arrogant and cimed that he should be worshipped more than others, Lord Vishnu, the god of preservation, introduced him to this parabolic form and challenged him to find its size. But Brahma failed, as it was endless, and in embarrassment took an oath to be not worshipped at all. So, shivling is also referred to as endless in this form."

  Diego got confused, as the two stories took him in different directions, so he asked for crity, "Your Highness, what do you believe is the right version?"

  Aditya replied with amusement, "Look at the fme of that diya over there." He pointed at the flickering fme. "Senhor, don't you think its shape is parabolic?"

  Diego asked in confusion, "Yes?"

  Aditya expined, "Just like this fme, you can consider the thread as our Lord Shiva, and the fme is the aura or energy of light that it emits. That's why we also call Shiva linga as Jyotir Linga."

  Realization dawned on Diego as it made sense. It wasn't that he was interested in pagan gods, but the story was very interesting. He asked more to pass the time and to learn about Hindu religion, eventually ending up with quotes from the Bhagavad Gita.

  He asked with deep contemption and without any formal tone, "So, you are saying that your god Krishna showed the ultimate form of the gods on the battlefield, in which all the gods were his forms, and Shiva was among them?"

  Aditya corrected him, "No, senhor, it wasn't disguises; it was forms. He even said that he is the god, and every god we worship is another form of him under a different name. No matter which god you worship, in the end, you will come to his kingdom of heaven in the way you worship."

  Diego couldn't digest it and straightforwardly refuted, coming back to his senses, "Apologies, Your Highness, but it's hard to believe and accept a human as a god. As far as we know, he died, so what is his significance?"

  Aditya wanted to facepalm himself as he didn't want to get involved in these talks but somehow got hooked on introducing his religion. He agreed with Diego's defiance, as one's perception and belief may not be accepted by others. Being from the modern world, he also held values that might sound alien to people of this era. So, he focused on ending it based on scriptures, and the only scripture he knew in detail was the Bhagavad Gita.

  He expined, "Lord Krishna did actually die, but his soul didn't. It would be too complicated to expin; just know that the soul is immortal and needs a body to interact within the worlds." He added after some contemption, "Trust me, Senhor, our world is not the only world we live in."

  Diego couldn't deny this logic. After all, in all religions, he had heard of the concept of the soul and worlds like heaven and hell but with different names. He felt frustrated as bsphemous thoughts vioted his mind. As far as he was concerned, Hinduism was an ancient civilization with a rich history and mythology but nothing more than that. His belief was with his Lord Jesus, and that was final.

  Taking a deep breath, he commented, "That's a good ideology, Your Highness, but I don't have faith. So, please don't mind me."

  Aditya chuckled with amusement, "It's alright, senhor. You know, in Hinduism, we don't force anyone to believe our logic. Even in the Bhagavad Gita, our Lord Krishna didn't force Arjun to believe his words. At the end, he only said, 'I have given you all the truth that you seek. Believing it or not is up to you.' It means faith is supreme. If you have faith, then even a stone or wood is a god; otherwise, it's nothing."

  Diego took a moment to analyze what the prince said and asked, "Then will you believe in Jesus, Your Highness?"

  Aditya replied without hesitation, "Why not?"

  Diego was taken aback. He inquired, "But our rules are different. The way we live and think is different. If you believe in Jesus, then you have to live the way he tells us."

  Aditya shook his head in denial as he expined, "This is where you are wrong. When I said I believe in Jesus as a god, it means I see him as a deity worthy of respect and faith. And this ideology is our eternal code (Dharma). That's why we have so many deities."

  Diego shook his head in denial as he gave his final remarks, "Your Highness, your version is different from what I have heard from local Brahmins. As much as I would like to believe in a society of equals, I don't think your people would allow you to do it. I don't know why I am saying this, but perhaps you should be careful with your words." He really felt pity for the naive prince as he felt a bit of attachment after such selfless words.

  Aditya sighed, as the recent purge was the result of his actions. Perhaps he needed to think about his actions to avoid changing the existing system suddenly. Reform, if not handled properly, can indeed turn into a revolution. He replied, "I appreciate your concern, senhor. I hope you enjoyed learning about our religion."

  Before Diego could reply, Chief Minister Bharadwaj Gupta, along with the newly appointed priest, entered the temple complex.

  "Honored guests and devotees," Chief Minister Bharadwaj Gupta announced, "We commence the Maha Shivratri Jagran. Please join us in this sacred ritual, as we honor Lord Shiva with devotion and fervor."

  The ritual began with the lighting of the ceremonial mps and the chanting of mantras by the priest. Aditya, Pratap, and Diego, settled into the front row with the other delegates really got a good view.

  The ritual involved a series of eborate offerings to the Shiv Ling, including the traditional abhisheka, where milk, honey, and water were poured over the sacred shiv ling.

  As the night progressed, the Jagran was filled with an array of devotional bhajans, sung by talented performers. The atmosphere resonated with the melodious hymns and the rhythmic beats of drums, creating an immersive spiritual experience.

  At midnight, the highlight of the evening commenced: the grand dance performances. Princess Arundhati, Princess Meenakshi, and Princess Uma Rao, each with their respective attendants, took to the stage.

  Princess Arundhati danced to a traditional piece celebrating the grace and power of Lord Shiva. Her performance was marked by intricate footwork and elegant gestures. She depicted a story of a hunter going to a field but couldn't find anything for food and stumbled upon a Shiv Ling in the forest. He cried hard, and his tears, along with Bel leaves, touched the Shiv Ling. Later, when the hell keepers came, they couldn't take his soul as it was saved by Lord Shiva, who manifested himself there.

  Princess Meenakshi followed, presenting a dance that highlighted the harmonious bance of creation and destruction, symbolizing Shiva's cosmic dance. She highlighted the incident of Goddess Sati, depicting how, after her marriage to Shiva, she had to die because of her father. Her father, a heavenly emperor, insulted Shiva for being a beggar, and she immoted herself. Later, Lord Shiva himself came and destroyed everything in anger in the form of Rudra. However, Sati was reincarnated as Parvati, and after great penance, she was able to marry Shiva and reunite with him, ascending to her eternal and divine form. Her anger and pain were evident in her eyes, and the suffering and longing in her movements were palpable.

  Princess Uma Rao performed a dance depicting the divine love and devotion of Lord Shiva for his followers. She showcased how the Devas and Asuras churned (drilled) the ocean with the Seshnag (divine serpent god) as the rope to obtain the eternal life-giving nectar called Amrit. In the process, they retrieved poison, dark matter powerful enough to corrupt the entire universe. Lord Shiva swallowed the poison, suffering the pain for eternity, and ended up with a blue throat. Pointing to the skies and denoting its color, matching it with his neck, she represented him as Nilkanth.

  The audience, both delegates and civilians, were captivated by the graceful performances. The dances, along with the ongoing bhajans, created a night of spiritual and cultural celebration, embodying the essence of Mahashivratri.

  The most impacted was Aditya, who was deeply moved by Meenakshi's dance, especially since he had discussed it with her a few moments ago. This meant she had prepared for it in a very short time.

  As the night wore on, the Jagran continued with fervor and devotion, weaving together tradition, artistry, and communal reverence for Lord Shiva.

  Many delegates left, and even Diego fell asleep. Aditya noticed that Meenakshi could hardly keep her eyes open and was about to fall asleep herself. He went over to her and sat beside her to offer the support she needed.