Mahashivratri
February
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Believed to be the city of Lord Shiva, Varanasi celebrates Mahashivratri with immense devotion and dedication. Legend says that it is celebrated in honour of the destroyer Shiva who ironically swallowed poison to save the cosmos from destruction. Falling in the Phalguna month’s dark fortnight, Mahashivratri sees a grand procession of the marriage of Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati, starting at the Mahamrityunjaya Temple, through the decorated streets of Varanasi to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.