INDIA, February 24, 2017 (PressKS by Bharath): Maha Shivratri is one of the celebrated festivals in India. On this occasion, devotees pray to Lord Shiva and get His blessings. To get the blessings many of them follow fasting, which is observed in several areas in the country. The fasting procedure will be completed and they will not sleep throughout the night. It is said that if a devotee observes a fast on Maha Shivratri, with sincerity, pure devotion and love, he/she would be blessed with the divine grace of Lord Shiva.
The Upvaas or the fasting starts on Maha Shivratri and ends on the next day which is Amavasya. The major Jyotirlinga Shiva temples of India, such as in Varanasi and Somnatha, are particularly frequented on Maha Shivaratri. They serve also as sites for fairs and special events. Maha Shivratri is observed in all the parts of the country. Maha Shivratri is mostly observed to be celebrated in temples. Most of the devotees once in the day visit Lord Shiva’s temples and worship the God for blessings.
People who want to fast on Mahashivaratri should take a bath early in the morning, with warm water and black sesame seeds. Sesame seeds take the impurities away from your body. Wear new clothes which are laundered and visit a Lord Shiva temple nearby. The ritual of bathing the Shiva Linga with milk and honey takes place in temples of the Deity. Some people are very strong in belief and they don’t take even a single drop of water. But some people who can’t stay without having some water and a little food, may eat certain traditional foods.
For a list of suggested foods associated with Shivaratri see “source” above.