Maha Shivratri or Sivaratri (Night of Shiva) is a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha of the month Maagha (as per Shalivahana) or Phalguna(as per Vikrama) in the Hindu Calendar, when Lord Shiv manifested as Shivaling. There are numerous stories extolling the glory of Mahadev (Lord Shiv) in the Puranas. He has been worshipped in Bharat (India) since ancient times. Archaeologists have discovered his meditative-postured murti in Mohenjo-daro. Initially his murti was worshipped. Later this was replaced by the Shivaling, symbolically representing the jyoti-flame of the fire, and not as a phallic symbol, as has been persistently and ignominiously misrepresented by non-Hindu writers since colonial times. The Shvetashvatava Upanishad (1-13) refers to Shivaling upasana-worship.