The Hindu festival Maha Shivaratri means ‘the great night of Shiva’ and is celebrated as the day when Lord Shiva and Goddess Shakti came together. Devotees believe that Lord Shiva performed his cosmic dance on this day. There are many tales and folklore about how Maha Shivaratri came into existence. According to common belief, on this day Lord Shiva drank the poison that came out from the ocean during the Samudra Manthan between gods and demons. He held the poison in his throat instead of swallowing it which made his throat turn blue. The festival is marked on the Chaturdashi of Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Phalguna.
This festival is solemn and marks a remembrance of “overcoming darkness and ignorance” in life and the world. It is observed by remembering Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting, and meditating on ethics and virtues such as honesty, non-injury to others, charity, forgiveness, and the discovery of Shiva. The ardent devotees keep awake all night. Others visit one of the Shiva temples or go on pilgrimage to Jyotirlingams.
Nepal
Maha Shivaratri is a national holiday in Nepal and is celebrated widely in temples all over the country, especially in the Pashupatinath temple. Thousands of devotees visit the famous Shiva Shakti Peetham nearby as well. Holy rituals are performed all over the nation. Maha Shivaratri is celebrated as Nepali Army Day amid a spectacular ceremony held at the Army Pavilion, Tundikhel. Artists from various classical music and dance forms perform through the night. On Maha Shivaratri, married women pray for the well-being of their husbands, while unmarried women pray for a husband like Shiva, considered as the ideal husband. Shiva is also worshipped as the Adi Guru (first teacher) from whom the divine wisdom originates.