Mangaluru: Maha Shivaratri is celebrated with great devotion and religious fervor in Shiva temples on the auspicious day of Shivaratri on Friday, February 24.

Kadri Manjunatheshwara temple which is considered as one of the most prominent Shiva temple in the south witnessed large number of crowd.Sri Gokarnanatha Temple at Kudroli, Somanatheshwara in Ullal, Panchalingeshwara Temple at Kavoor and Mahalingeshwara Temple in Pandeshwar and Putturu are holding special rituals on this auspicious day.

According to one of the most popular legends, Shivaratri is the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Parvati. It is also believed that Lord Shiva performed ‘Tandava’, the dance of the primal creation, preservation and destruction on this auspicious night of Shivaratri. According to another popular legend, described in Linga Purana, it was on Shivaratri that Lord Shiva manifested himself in the form of a Linga for the first time. Since then, the day is considered to be extremely auspicious by the devotees of Shiva and they celebrate it as Maha Shivaratri – the grand night of Shiva.

Maha Shivaratri Shiva devotees observe strict fast on Maha Shivaratri, with many people having only fruits and milk and some not even consuming a drop of water.

Worshippers dutifully follow all the traditions and customs related to Shivaratri festival, as they strongly believe that sincere worship of Lord Shiva, on the auspicious day, releases a person of his sins and also liberates him from the cycle of birth and death. As Shiva is regarded as the ideal husband, unmarried women pray for a husband like Him, on Shivaratri. On the other hand, married women pray for the well being of their husbands, on this auspicious day.

The festival falls on the moonless, 14th night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun (in the month of February – March, according to English Calendar). On the festival of Maha Shivaratri, devotees observe day and night fast and worship Shiva Lingam, to appease Lord Shiva. Many interesting legends have been related to the festival of Maha Shivaratri, explaining the reason behind its celebrations as well as its significance.