The Magic of Maha Shivaratri in Pictures – Huffington Post

Maha Shivaratri. An ocean of saffron. Sadhus or hindu “holy men” are covered in ash from the myriad of bonfires. A unique melody arises from the crowd: a mix of vedic scriptures and excited yelps from festival revelers. Teenagers click selfies with Sadhus, honoring both their Hindu and their god. Nearly one million devotees from across South Asia thronged the mystical Pashupatinath temple on Friday to observe the Maha Shivaratri festival. Around five thousand religious ascetics from Nepal and India celebrated the event in the honor of the Hindu God, Lord Shiva. Here are some pictures from this holy festival.