Lord Shiva is one of the trinities besides Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma and is regarded to be the destructor of the negative forces. Lord Shiva is known by various names like Bholenath, Mahadev, Chandrashekara, Mrityunjay, Gangadhara, Neelakanta, Vishakanta and the list goes on.

People across the world worship this deity to seek blessings and ask for forgiveness for the sins done knowingly or unknowingly. As per the Hindu scriptures; Monday is the auspicious day to worship Lord Shiva. However, there is a special day in the year when worshipping Lord Shiva is believed to fulfill all your desires and wipe off the misdeeds of past and present life and the day is Maha Shivratri.

According to the mythological scriptures, Maha Shivratri marks the anniversary of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Praying to Lord Shiva and fasting on this day is said to eradicate the negative forces and relieve you from all the pains and sufferings of life.

Benefits

• Worshipping Lord Shiva on the day of Maha Shivratri is said to purify one's soul.
• Individuals will be blessed with a long and healthy life
• Childless couples will get to enjoy parenthood
• Relieves you from the ill effects of malefic planets
• Negative energies will be destroyed and harmony will prevail at home

Maha Shivratri falls on the 13th night or the 14th of Krishna Paksha in the month of Maagha or Phalguna that is during the months of February or March. There are various legends related to the celebration of Maha Shivratri among which the most famous is Lord Shiva protecting the world by consuming the poison that came out during the churning of the ocean by devas and asuras.

The other mythological story is where Lord Vishnu and Brahma were arguing about who was supreme among them and there appeared Lord Shiva who was engulfed in flames and was stretched into infinity. Lord Vishnu and Brahma were astonished by the giant form and agreed that Lord Shiva was the most supreme of the trinities.

People on this day wake up at dawn, take a bath, wear new clothes and go to the Shiva temples. They offer water, milk, honey, bel leaves and other sacred materials to the Shiva lingam and seek blessings from the divine source. People chant Shiv mantras, sing devotional songs, fast the whole day, and stay awake the whole night. The next morning, people take part in the puja and break their fast by eating the prasadam.