Shivaratri festival, Kumbha mela, Benares (Kashi) Varanasi, India

The celebration of Maha Shivaratri is characterized by a fast all day and sleep all night. It performs puja (s) with bili leaves and milk. Women are particularly fervent in their celebration: married women pray for their husbands and son, the young ladies to have an ideal husband, like Shiva - Parvati and imitate women who, according to legend, prayed and practiced austerities (tapas) all day to keep her husband Shiva dangers of the moonless night.
According to the scriptures, offerings to Lord Shiva should include Bili leaves, soothing hot-blooded deity, representing purification of the soul of the paste of vermilion representing virtue and applied to the lingam, food, conducive to longevity and to the satisfaction of desires, incense, believed to bring abundance and a lighted lamp, supports the acquisition of knowledge, betel leaves, reflecting the satisfaction of worldly pleasure.