Goddess Parvati prays for Shiva

Goddess Parvati performed tapas, prayed and meditated on this day to ward off any evil that might befall her husband on the moonless night.

Since then, Mahashivaratri is believed to be an auspicious occasion for women to pray for the well-being of their husbands and sons. An unmarried woman prays for a husband like Shiva, who is considered to be the ideal husband.