Maha Shivratri at a glance
What is Maha Shivratri?
Maha Shivratri — literally "the great night of Shiva" — is the most important festival dedicated to Lord Shiva. It falls on the Chaturdashi, the fourteenth night of the waning moon, in the month of Phalguna (Magha in the amanta calendar followed in parts of South and West India), usually in February or March.
Every month has a Shivratri — the Masik Shivratri on the same lunar night — but this one is "Maha", the great one, held to be the night when Shiva's presence is most accessible. Devotees fast through the day, worship through the night in four prahars, and many remain awake until dawn: not as endurance, but as a way of staying attentive while the world sleeps.
Unlike most Hindu festivals, it is quiet rather than celebratory — a night of abhishek, mantra and meditation, when the Shivling is bathed again and again and the chant of Om Namah Shivaya carries through temples and homes alike.
Explore Lord Shiva →Maha Shivratri 2027 date & pooja timings
Why do we celebrate Maha Shivratri?
There is no single answer. Different traditions hold different stories about this night — and many devotees hold several at once.
How to observe Maha Shivratri
Your festival day, from dawn to the following morning.
Morning
- ·Wake early and bathe
- ·Prepare the pooja space
- ·Take Sankalp for the vrat
- ·Begin the fast, if observing
Daytime
- ·Maintain the vrat
- ·Chant Om Namah Shivaya
- ·Visit a Shiva temple if you wish
- ·Gather samagri for the night
Evening
- ·Bathe again before worship
- ·Light the diya
- ·Begin first prahar pooja
Night
- ·Shiva Abhishek in each prahar
- ·Chant mantras and Rudram
- ·Meditate at Nishita Kaal
- ·Stay awake, as tradition suggests
Following morning
- ·Complete fourth-prahar worship
- ·Perform aarti at dawn
- ·Parana at the right time
- ·Break the fast with prasad
Maha Shivratri Pooja Vidhi
A simple, complete worship sequence you can follow at home — once in the evening, or repeated in each prahar of the night.
Read the full Rudrabhishek guide →-
01
Prepare the pooja space
Clean the area, place the Shivling or image on a chowki facing north or east.
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02
Take Sankalp
State your name, gotra and intention for the night's worship.
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03
Invoke Lord Shiva
Meditate on Shiva and invite his presence with Om Namah Shivaya.
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04
Perform Shiva Abhishek
Bathe the Shivling slowly, chanting as you pour.
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05
Offer water
Ganga jal or clean water, the first and simplest offering.
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06
Offer milk
Where your tradition calls for it, followed by rinsing with water.
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07
Offer Bel Patra
Three-leafed, smooth side down, stem towards you.
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08
Offer flowers
White flowers, dhatura or aak, as your family practises.
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09
Apply Chandan
Sandalwood paste on the Shivling, and bhasma if you use it.
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10
Offer akshat
Unbroken rice, a sign of completeness.
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11
Light diya and incense
Ghee lamp and dhoop before the deity.
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12
Offer naivedya
Fruits, sweets or panchamrit as prasad.
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13
Chant mantras
Om Namah Shivaya 108 times, or the Mahamrityunjaya mantra.
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14
Perform aarti
Om Jai Shiv Omkara — and repeat the pooja in each prahar.
The four prahar of Shivratri
The night is divided into four watches of roughly three hours. Traditionally, Shiva is worshipped once in each — with a different abhishek for each prahar — so the night becomes one long, unbroken offering.
Offerings per prahar follow a common tradition; practice varies by region and family.
Maha Shivratri Vrat
Parana: 7 Mar, 6:40 AM – 3:22 PMThe fast begins at sunrise on Shivratri and ends with parana the following morning. Choose the kind of fast that suits your health — the tradition values sincerity over severity.
No food or water until parana — the strictest form, for those in good health.
Fruits, milk and permitted vrat foods — the most commonly observed.
A single sattvik meal during the day, for those who cannot fast fully.
What you can eat
- ✓Fruits and dry fruits
- ✓Milk, curd and buttermilk
- ✓Sabudana khichdi or vada
- ✓Kuttu or singhara flour rotis
- ✓Sweet potato and potato
- ✓Makhana
- ✓Sendha namak (rock salt)
Traditionally avoided
- —Grains — rice, wheat and pulses
- —Common table salt
- —Onion and garlic
- —Meat, eggs and alcohol
- —Fried, heavy or packaged food
- —Tulsi leaves in Shiva offerings
If you are pregnant, elderly, diabetic or on medication, a phalahar fast or simple devotion without fasting is fully in keeping with tradition. Please consult your doctor.
What to offer Lord Shiva
Traditionally not offered: Tulsi leaves, kumkum and ketaki flowers. Customs vary — follow your family's practice.
Mantras to chant on Maha Shivratri
The five-syllable heart of Shiva worship, chanted through the night.
A prayer for health and liberation from the Rig Veda.
For clarity and inner illumination on the night of awareness.
Om Jai Shiv Omkara
ब्रह्मा विष्णु सदाशिव, अर्द्धांगी धारा॥
Where India keeps the night
Explore the 12 Jyotirlingas →Want a pandit for your Shivratri pooja?
Soon you'll be able to arrange Maha Shivratri Rudrabhishek or four-prahar pooja at home, or join online with the sankalp in your name.
Maha Shivratri FAQs
When is Maha Shivratri in 2027?
On Saturday, 6 March 2027. Timings vary by city — see the Date & Muhurat section.
What is Nishita Kaal?
The midnight window considered the most auspicious time for Shiva worship on Shivratri.
What is the difference between Shivratri and Maha Shivratri?
Masik Shivratri falls every month; Maha Shivratri is the great annual one in Phalguna.
Can I drink water during the Shivratri fast?
Yes, unless you observe a nirjala fast. Most devotees keep a phalahar fast with water.
What should I eat during the vrat?
Fruits, milk, sabudana, kuttu or singhara flour, potatoes and makhana, with rock salt.
When should I break the fast?
At parana the next morning, within the window shown for your city.
Is it necessary to stay awake all night?
It is traditional, not mandatory. Even keeping one prahar of worship with attention is meaningful.
Can I do Shivratri pooja at home?
Yes — a Shivling, water, milk, Bel Patra and a sincere heart are enough. Follow the vidhi above.
What should not be offered to Shiva?
Traditionally tulsi, kumkum and ketaki flowers are avoided.
Can women observe the Maha Shivratri vrat?
Yes — women and men alike observe it, and many unmarried women keep it for a good marriage.
Which mantra should I chant?
Om Namah Shivaya is the principal mantra; the Mahamrityunjaya mantra is also widely chanted.
Why is Bel Patra offered to Shiva?
Its three leaves are held to represent Shiva's three eyes and the three gunas; it is his most beloved offering.