INDIA, February 16, 2015 (All India Roundup by J. Divya): On the auspicious occasion of Shivratri, or Mahashivratri, Hindu devotees around the world observe Shivratri Vrat or Upvaas or fast. Maha Shivaratri is the wonderful opportunity for the followers of Lord Shiva, to praise the God and seek his blessings. The fasting involves refraining from eating any food and not sleeping throughout the night. Sivaratri literally means ‘the night of Lord Shiva’ and unlike other festivals associated with Hinduism there is no fun and merrymaking on the day. But the night provides an opportunity to cleanse the ignorance, realize that you are Brahman and open the door to bliss.
The Mahashivratri fasting begins on the morning of Shivratri and ends next day morning or the Amavasya morning. Since it is a long Upvaas or Vrat, many people consume a special meal known as phalar. Devotees wake up before sunrise and take bath and wear clean clothes. Most people then visit a nearby Shiva Temple. In most places, Shivratri is largely observed in temples.
No meal is eaten after sunset on Shivratri day. But many people don’t know what to eat on this day. Some recipes which you can eat during the fasting are cashew nut barfi, green gram fry, potato pumpkin pancakes and aloo tikki. Though many go on a diet of fruits and milk, some do not consume even a drop of water all through the day and night of Shivratri Festival.
For more suggestions see ‘source’.