Monday is believed to be the auspicious day to worship Lord Shiva however praying to Mahadev on the propitious eve of Maha Shivratri will not only shield you from the negative energies but will also fill your lives with happiness and prosperity.

Mahashivratri is usually celebrated for a night and a day that is on the 13th night and 14th day of the dark fortnight that is in the Krishna paksha of Phalguna month. This festival generally falls in the month of February or March.

According to mythological scriptures, Lord Shiva is one among the trinities besides Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. Brahma is regarded to be the creator of the entire universe while Vishnu is the protector and Lord Shiva is the destructor of the negative energies. So, people across the world worship Lord Shiva to seek blessings and protection from evil spirits.

The benefits of honoring Lord Shiva especially during the occasion of Maha Shivratri are as follows:

• Devotees will be blessed with a healthy and prosperous life
• Worshipping Lord Shiva on this special day will relieve you from the debts and miseries of life
• Praying to Lord Shiva will remove the obstacles that are in the path of success.
• Devotees will be bestowed with wisdom and knowledge
• The individuals worshipping Lord Shiva with complete devotion and dedication will be freed of sins of the present and past life.
• Praying to the Shivji is the way to attain moksha.
• Delays and interruptions in marriage will get resolved

As per the Vedic scriptures, when Maa Parvati asked Shivji as to which puja will please him; Lord Shiva himself has explained the importance of worshipping him on Maha Shivaratri to his wife Goddess Parvati. Hence, this ritual is strictly followed by devotees and on this eve devotees fast, visit temples and give Shiva Lingam a holy bath.

On this day, devotees wake up early in the morning, take a bath and wear clean clothes. They go to the nearby Shivalayas to get a glimpse of the deity and offer sacred materials like milk, flowers, honey, curd, water, bel leaves etc. They observe fast and mantras of Lord Shiva are chanted rigorously and bhajans are sung whole day & night. The next day, after the puja is performed, devotees break their fast by consuming maha prasadam.