Maha Shivratri

The great night of Shiva — said to be the night Shiva performed the Tandava, the night of his cosmic marriage with Parvati, and the night the lingam appeared as an infinite pillar of light that even Brahma and Vishnu could not measure. It is the planetary alignment when energies move upward most easily, so the tradition is to stay awake and aware.

Maha Shivratri is observed not by feasting but by stillness, fasting and night-long jagaran. The four praharas of the night each have a distinct abhisheka — water, curd, ghee and honey.