Maha shivratri celebrated all the way through the country, it is very popular festival in utter Pradesh. Mahashivrateri is a festival of Hindus; it is celebrated every year on the 13 th /14 th day in the Krishna paksha of the month of maagha or phalgun in the Hindus calendar and according to English calendar it is celebrated in the month of February or March.
There a lot of interesting legends related to the festival of mahashivratri. Many people believe that on this day lord shiv got married to parvatiji and some people trust that it was a favorable night of shivratri that lord shiv performed the 'tandave' (the dance of the primal creation), conservation and destruction. There are many legends behind the celebration of festival of mahasivratri which name is Samudra Manthan Story, Manifestation of Lord Shiv as a Jyotirlinga on this day, Day of Reunion of Shiva & Parvati, Story of Chitrabhanu, Story of Lubdhak, Spiritual Significance, etc.
On this festival, people worship to lord of Shiva. In this day, people obey a strict fast in respect lord of Shiva. Many people keep fast on fruits and milk and some people don't take even a drop of water. In the morning the devotees break their fast with partaking Prasad offered to the deity. On this day, devotees worship of lord on the auspicious day of shivratri. In this auspicious day, married women pray to god for well being of their husband and unmarried women pray to god to get a good husband like Lord Shiva.
On festival of shivratri, devotees wake up early in the morning and take a ritual bath in river Ganga . After taking bath and wearing neat and clean clothes followers go to nearest Shiva temple to give retule bath to the Shiva lignum with milk, water, honey, etc. on festival of shivrateri, devotees worship to Shiva continues day and night. Priests perform retule pooja of Shiva lingam by bathing with milk, honey, water, ghee, with admits the chanting of "OM NAMAH SHIVAYA". In temple of lord of Shiva, devotees ring of the temple bells and the whole night they vigil or jagran where a lot of people spend the night singing the devotional songs in praise of lord Shiva. In this way shivratri celebrated in a big way.
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