Maha Shivaratri is a significant Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, celebrated annually, typically in February or March. It translates to "the Great Night of Shiva" and involves night-long vigils, fasting, and prayers. Devotees often visit temples, offer milk and water to Shiva lingams, and chant mantras to seek blessings and spiritual enlightenment. The festival symbolizes the overcoming of darkness and ignorance through meditation and devotion.