Legends  

Lord Shiva and his wife Sati were in Kailash abode, and Daksh, father of Sati, was doing a big yagya (fire ceremony). Sati went to the yagya without an invitation from her father. Daksh was very proud, and out of his great pride, he was disrespecting God Shiva. Sati could not tolerate it. So she jumped in the fire of yagya and finished Herself.

When Lord Shiva heard about this incident, out of fury, he was on the threshold to destroy the universe. It was only when other gods interfered and calmed down his anger that it was saved. God Shiva was now alone and went into deep meditation. Then Sati again took birth as Parvati in the family of god Himalaya. So, from very childhood She was desiring to meet God Shiva. In order to break the meditation of Lord Shiva, She undertook grave austerity in the jungle- all absorbed in love of God Shiva. So the day was fixed for their marriage, and on this particular day, Hindu celebrates the union of God Shiva and Parvati.

According to another legend in the Shiva Purana, once Brahma and Vishnu were fighting over who was the superior of the two. Horrified at the intensity of the battle, the other gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realize the futility of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of a huge column of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu. Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one end each to establish supremacy over the other. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upwards and Vishnu as Varaha went into the earth. Nevertheless, light has no limit and though they searched for thousands of miles, neither could find the end. On his journey upwards, Brahma came across a ketaki flower wafting down slowly. When asked where she had come from, the ketaki replied that she had been placed at the top of the fiery column as an offering. Unable to find the uppermost limit, Brahma decided to end his search and take the flower as a witness. At this, the angry Shiva revealed his true form. He punished Brahma for telling a lie and cursed him that no one would ever pray to him. The ketaki flower too was banned from being used as an offering for any worship, as she had testified falsely. Since it was on the 14th day in the dark half of the month of Phalguna that Shiva first manifested himself in the form of a linga, the day is especially auspicious and is celebrated as Maha Shivratri. Worshipping Shiva on this day is believed to bestow one with happiness and prosperity.

There is another possible reason for the origin of the all-night worship. Maha Shivratri being a moonless night, people worship the god who wears the crescent moon as an adornment in his hair, Shiva. This was probably to ensure that the moon rose the next night.

According to one myth, Parvati performed tapas, prayed, and meditated on this day to ward off any evil that may befall her husband on the moonless night.

Rituals

Devotees bathe at sunrise, preferably in the Ganga or any other holy water source (like the Shiva Sagar tank at Khajuraho). They offer prayers to the sun, Vishnu and Shiva. This is a purificatory rite, an important part of all Hindu festivals. Wearing a clean piece of clothing after the holy bath, worshippers carry pots of water to the temple to bathe the Shivalinga. The temple reverberates with the sound of bells and shouts of 'Shankarji ki Jai' or (Hail Shiva). Devotees circumambulate the linga, three or seven times and then pour water over it. Some also pour milk.

The linga is bathed with milk, water and honey. It is then anointed with sandalwood paste. People offer wood apple or bael leaves and fruit, milk, sandalwood and jujube fruit (b鲦amp;copy; to the linga. Shiva is believed to be very hot tempered and hence things that have a cooling effect are offered to him. People decorate the linga with flowers and garlands and offer incense sticks and fruit. In bigger temples, there is almost a stampede as devotees seek favors from their beloved god. Many also employ the services of a priest to perform special prayers. Shiva being an ascetic god, Maha Shivratri is very popular with ascetics. Thandai, a drink made with cannabis, almonds, and milk, is essentially drunk by the devotees. This is so because cannabis is said to have been very dear to Shiva.

Offerings

Lord Shiva Loves Belpatra and its must to offer it to him.Lord Shiva is also offered special food, made from fruits of the season, root vegetables and coconuts, during ritual worship. The Shivling (phallic symbol of the Lord) is bathed with the panchagavya (five sacred offerings of a cow including milk, sour milk, urine, butter and dung). Thereafter, milk, butter, curd, sugar and honey, (believed to be the foods granting immortality), are offered. Dhatura and jati, though poisonous fruits, are sacred to Shiva and therefore placed in front of him.