Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi
Maha Shivratri
Maha Shivratri, “the great night of Shiva”, is the most important festival devoted to Lord Shiva, observed on the fourteenth night of the waning Moon in Phalguna. Unlike most festivals it is kept through the night rather than by day.
2026
Sunday, 15 February 2026
2027
Saturday, 6 March 2027
The day at a glance
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Significance
The night is held to mark Shiva’s cosmic dance and, in many tellings, his marriage to Parvati. Devotees keep a vigil and fast, believing the night’s worship dissolves accumulated wrongs and brings Shiva’s grace.
How Maha Shivratri is observed
A day-long fast is kept and a night vigil held in four praharas (watches), with the Shiva lingam bathed in milk, water, honey and bilva leaves, and the chant of “Om Namah Shivaya”. Many visit Jyotirlinga temples.
Puja Muhurat
Maha Shivratri worship runs through the whole night in four prahars (equal quarters), each with its own abhishekam; the single Nishita Kaal at midnight is the most auspicious.
Timings for Ujjain
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FAQ
Why is Maha Shivratri observed at night?
The night itself is the festival: devotees keep a vigil through its four watches, worshipping Shiva when the rest of the world sleeps.
What is offered to the Shiva lingam?
Water, milk, honey, curd and bilva (bel) leaves, with the chant Om Namah Shivaya.
What does the Maha Shivratri fast involve?
A full-day fast, often without food or water, broken the next morning after the night-long worship.
Around the same season
Plan around Maha Shivratri
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