Maha Shivaratri 2027

What is Maha Shivaratri?

Maha Shivaratri, "the great night of Shiva", is one of the most important festivals for devotees of Lord Shiva. It falls on the fourteenth night (Chaturdashi) of the dark half of the month of Magha in the amanta calendar — Phalguna in the purnimanta calendar of North India — usually in February or March. Unlike most festivals, it is observed mainly at night, with fasting, prayer and staying awake.

Why is Maha Shivaratri celebrated?

Several traditions are associated with the night. It is celebrated as the night of the marriage of Shiva and Parvati; as the night Shiva performed the Tandava, the cosmic dance of creation and destruction; and as the night he appeared as an infinite pillar of light, the Jyotirlinga, before Brahma and Vishnu. Another story tells of a hunter who, staying awake in a bilva tree through the night, unknowingly dropped leaves on a Shiva linga below and was blessed — showing the power of devotion even without ritual knowledge.

How is Maha Shivaratri observed?

Fasting

Devotees keep a fast from the morning — some nirjala (without water), most taking only fruit, milk and fasting foods such as sabudana, kuttu and sweet potato. The fast is broken the next morning after the night's worship.

Abhishek of the Shiva linga

Temples and homes perform abhishek (ritual bathing) of the Shiva linga with water, milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar, followed by offerings of bilva (bael) leaves, dhatura, white flowers, sandalwood and vibhuti. Many observe the four prahars of the night, performing a puja in each.

Jagaran

Staying awake through the night — singing bhajans, chanting "Om Namah Shivaya" and the Mahamrityunjaya mantra, and listening to the stories of Shiva — is at the heart of the festival. The most auspicious time is Nishita Kaal, around midnight.

Maha Shivaratri at the great Shiva shrines

Huge crowds gather at the twelve Jyotirlingas, including Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi, Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain and Somnath in Gujarat, and at temples such as Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, where sadhus come from across South Asia. In Mauritius, Maha Shivaratri is the greatest Hindu festival of the year: close to half a million pilgrims walk to the sacred lake of Ganga Talao (Grand Bassin) carrying decorated kanwars. In Trinidad, Fiji and South Africa, temples hold all-night prayers.

How to observe Maha Shivaratri at home

• Bathe in the morning and take a sankalp (resolve) for the fast.
• Set up a Shiva linga or picture; offer water or milk, bilva leaves, white flowers and fruit.
• Chant "Om Namah Shivaya" or read the Shiva Chalisa; perform aarti ("Om Jai Shiv Omkara") in the evening and at night.
• Stay awake as long as you can, especially around midnight.
• Break the fast the next morning after a final puja.

What is the message of Maha Shivaratri?

Shivaratri is a night of inward turning: overcoming darkness and ignorance through awareness, devotion and self-discipline. The fast, the night-long vigil and the repetition of Shiva's name are ways of staying awake — not only through the night, but in life.