Maha Sivaratri or "Siva's Great Night" is a religious festival that takes place once a year where Hindus stay awake throughout the night worshiping and honoring their Supreme God Siva.
The festival is celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day of the new moon during Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Phalguna (that is, the night before and day of the new moon). The Sanskrit term, Krishna Paksha means the period of waning moon or the dark fortnight and Phalguna corresponds to the months of February/March in the English calendar.
The festival involves all day fasting and an all night long vigil during which external worship in the form of puja and internal worship in the form of meditation is given great importance.
The Saivite sect of Hinduism worships their Supreme God in the form of Siva, God of Love.
