One night long long ago, a poor hunter strayed deep into the forest in search of game. After a long, fruitless search, he spotted a deer, shot an arrow and killed it. He cut and dressed the carcass, bound the meat with bel leaves and started back home when dusk fell.

For fear of wild beasts, he climbed a bel tree and decided to stay the night there. Below was a Siva linga buried in the ground. Drops of blood from the bundle of raw flesh fell on it. At the same time, the hunter plucked bel leaves and threw them down to while away the time in his nocturnal vigil. The leaves also fell on the linga. Siva was pleased and appeared before the hunter. The man hastily came down and offered prayers.

Siva granted him a boon to end all miseries and disappeared. From that night it has become a custom to observe a fast during daytime and spend the night without sleep on Siva Chaturdasi and make offerings from hour to hour to Siva.