Maha Shivratri is the annual festival for Hindus, usually on the 13th night of the Tamil month Phalguna, during the late winter and welcoming the spring season. Though Shivratri occurs every month, Maha Shivratri is the Great Night of Lord Shiva. The festival is said to have been organized from 5th Century CE onwards. Maha Shivaratri festival reinstates sincerity, honesty, self - discipline, non - injury to others, refraining from sinful activities. The ardent devotees are vigil throughout night on this day and worship the Lord because this night is revered as the night for overcoming ignorance attaining bliss. Generally, Maha Shivaratri festival falls between mid - February and mid - March.
The historical relevance to this festival is the heavenly dance of Lord Shiva. It is believed that Lord Shiva performs his dance of creation, preservation and destruction. So, on the night of Shivrathri. So, there are dance performances conducted in majority of the Shiva Temples. To name a few, Kajuraho, Konark and Chidambaram are the temples where the dance artists confluence at the Shiva Temples and offer their prayers to the Lord in the form of Dance performance called Natyanjali. But still the epicenter of this festival is focused on fasting and reverence to the icons of Lord Shiva. Jyotirlinga Shiva temples on this auspicious day