Maha Shivaratri 2027 Date – 6 March

Why Shivaratri is celebrated

Every month has a Shivaratri on the fourteenth night of the waning moon, but the one in Phalguna (Magha in the amanta calendar) is the Maha Shivaratri, the great one. Different traditions remember different events on this night: the marriage of Shiva and Parvati; the night Shiva appeared as an endless column of fire (the Lingodbhava) to settle a dispute between Brahma and Vishnu; and, in some accounts, the night he drank the poison from the churning of the ocean, turning his throat blue (Neelkantha).

The hunter and the bel tree

A popular story tells of a hunter who, unable to find game, spent the night in a bel tree to escape wild animals. To stay awake he kept plucking leaves and dropping them below, and his tears and the water from his flask fell too. Without knowing it he had bathed and worshipped a Shivalinga under the tree through the whole night of Shivaratri, and was blessed. The story explains the three central practices of the day: fasting, staying awake and offering bel leaves.

The four prahars of the night

The night is divided into four parts (prahars), and devout worshippers perform an abhishek in each one. The most important worship is at Nishita kaal, around midnight. Devotees chant 'Om Namah Shivaya' or the Mahamrityunjaya mantra, read the Shiva Purana or sing bhajans until dawn.

Shivaratri across India and Nepal

• Varanasi, Ujjain, Somnath and the other jyotirlinga temples – long queues from before dawn and processions (Shiv baraat) recreating Shiva's wedding party.
• Mandi, Himachal Pradesh – an international fair that runs for about a week, when deities from surrounding villages are brought to the town.
• Junagadh, Gujarat – the Bhavnath fair at the foot of Girnar, attended by sadhus.
• Kashmir – Kashmiri Pandits celebrate Herath, usually a day earlier, with a puja of water-filled pots and walnuts that are later shared as prasad.
• Nepal – Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu draws sadhus and pilgrims from across South Asia.
• Tamil Nadu – classical dance festivals such as Natyanjali at Chidambaram, dedicated to Shiva as Nataraja.

What to offer and what to avoid

Water, milk, curd, honey, ghee, bel leaves (with three leaflets, unbroken), dhatura, aak flowers, white flowers, sandalwood and fruit are traditional offerings. By tradition, ketaki flowers, tulsi leaves, turmeric and kumkum are not offered on the Shivalinga. Milk poured on the linga is increasingly collected and given to those in need rather than going down the drain.

Maha Shivaratri puja samagri (what you need)

• Shivalinga (or visit a temple)
• Gangajal or clean water
• Raw milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar
• Bel (bilva) leaves
• Dhatura and aak flowers
• White flowers
• Sandalwood paste and bhasma (sacred ash)
• Akshat
• Fruit and sweets for prasad
• Diya, camphor and incense
• Rudraksha mala for japa

How to do Maha Shivaratri puja, step by step

1. Take a bath early, wear clean clothes and take the sankalp to fast.
2. Visit a Shiva temple or set up a Shivalinga at home.
3. Bathe the linga with water, then milk, curd, honey and ghee, rinsing with water between each.
4. Apply sandalwood and offer bel leaves, dhatura and flowers.
5. Chant 'Om Namah Shivaya' and read or listen to the Shivaratri story.
6. Repeat the abhishek in each prahar if you can, with the main puja at midnight.
7. Stay awake through the night with bhajans and japa.
8. Break the fast the next morning after sunrise.