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Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honor of the God Shiva. This festival falls on late February, in the Nepali month Falgun. This festival is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the main God of Hindu religion (though some may argue otherwise). The name of this festival means the night of Shiva. There are a lot of legends related to the origin of this festival, like the legend from Vedic literature about Shiva drinking the deadliest poison during Samundra manthana, the legend about Kind Hitravanu, the legend of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati’s marriage, the story about this day being the most favorite day of Lord shiva and so on. This festival is observed by remembering the God Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting, doing yoga and meditating on ethnics and virtues such as self-restraint, honesty, and non-injury to others, forgiveness and the discovery of lord Shiva. Offerings of fruits, leaves, sweets and milk to Shiva are made on this day.
Our suggestion is to Google it because our small page and even smaller brain will malfunction with the load of information about this festival, because it really is very important. But one thing is sure, this is one of the major festival for any Hindu and you MUST!!, yes must visit the Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath temple on this day to see the Hindus lining for the Puja (maybe not that unusual but extra-large line and colors), specially the Sadhus, Hindu holy men with ashes all over their body, snakes necklace around on their neck, (you know, if you don’t Google), doing some ridiculously strange (?)Yoga positions for their meditation, smoking Marijuana (you don’t do it) and chant their Mantras. Note that we are just trying to be a little funny, that’s all.
Do:
VISIT Pashupatinath temple or if you are not in Kathmandu any shiva temple nearby, it is not difficult to find. And at night join some locals for their ritual dhuni (a religious version of campfire).