The devotees focuses on fasting and prayers on an all-night vigil at temples to overcome darkness and ignorance within themselves, as well as embrace forgiveness, honesty and kindness.
During this festival, many devotees go on a pilgrimage to one of the 12 Jyotirlingams (shrines of Lord Shiva), where some of the biggest Mahashivaratri celebrations take place.
Here are the 12 Jyotirlingams of Lord Shiva:
1. Somnath @ Saurashtra, Gujarat
2. Mallikarjuna @ Srisailam, Andra Pradesh
3. Mahakaleswar @ Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
4. Omkareshwar @ Mandhata, Madhya Pradesh
5. Kedarnath, Garhwal Himalayan range, Uttarakhand
6. Bhimashankar @ Khed, Maharashtra
7. Viswanath @ Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
8. Triambakeshwar @ Trimbak, Maharashtra
9. Vaidyanath @ Deogarh, Jharkhand
10. Nageswar @ Dwarka, Gujarat
11. Rameshwar @ Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
12. Grishneshwar @ Ellora, Maharashtra
Sourced from: Vanamaliashram, Shaivam and Shreehindutemple