Shiva · Shiva, Parvati
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Shiva, kept with fasting, abhishek and an all-night vigil.
Also known as: Shivaratri, The Great Night of Shiva
Date and muhurat
✓ 28.6519°N, 77.2315°E · Asia/Kolkata
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When is it observed?
On the night of the Chaturdashi (fourteenth day) of the dark fortnight of the month of Magha by the amanta count of the south and west (Phalguna in the purnimanta calendar of the north). The date is the day on which Chaturdashi covers the midnight, the Nishita Kaal.
About Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri is the night dedicated to Shiva, observed once a year in its grand form, though every month has a smaller Masik Shivaratri on its dark-fortnight Chaturdashi. Devotees fast through the day, bathe the Shivalinga repeatedly and remain awake through the night in prayer and chanting.
Temples stay open late, with long queues for darshan, and the air fills with the sound of "Om Namah Shivaya" and bells. At home many people keep a quieter vigil, reading Shiva stories or listening to bhajans, and break the fast the next morning.
Significance
For devotees this night is a time to turn the mind inward. Shiva is worshipped as the ascetic, the destroyer of ignorance and the lord of yoga, and the vigil is traditionally believed to help the worshipper rise above laziness and distraction toward stillness and self-knowledge.
It is also remembered as a night of union, for many traditions hold that this is the day Shiva and Parvati were married. So householders pray for harmony in the family, while ascetics and yogis use the long dark hours for meditation. The festival thus holds together the householder and the renunciate sides of Shiva.
Fast, four prahars and abhishek
- 1Wake early, bathe and take the sankalp to keep the Shivaratri fast. Many eat only fruit, milk and root vegetables, and some keep a waterless fast.
- 2Go to a Shiva temple, or arrange a Shivalinga at home, and offer water first.
- 3Perform abhishek with milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar (panchamrit), then with clean water, with the chant "Om Namah Shivaya".
- 4Offer bel (bilva) leaves, preferably three-leaved and unbroken, along with white flowers, dhatura, sandal paste, ash (vibhuti) and incense.
- 5Worship in each of the four prahars of the night. Each prahar traditionally has its own abhishek, offering and mantra, and the Nishita (midnight) worship is considered the most important.
- 6Remain awake through the night, chanting the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra, reading the Shiva Purana or listening to bhajans.
- 7In the morning, bathe, offer a last prayer and break the fast with simple sattvic food, after feeding a Brahmin or the needy if you can.
The story
One widely told account is from the churning of the ocean. When the deadly poison Halahala rose from the depths and threatened all creation, Shiva drank it and held it in his throat, which turned blue. In some traditions the night vigil of Shivaratri is linked to this episode, as the gods are said to have stayed awake watching over him.
Another tale is of a hunter who, lost in a forest at night, climbed a bel tree to escape a tiger. To stay awake he kept plucking leaves and dropping them, unknowingly, onto a Shivalinga below, and the day happened to be Shivaratri. Moved by this unintentional worship, Shiva is said to have blessed him, which shows why sincerity matters more than perfection.
What to do
- ✓Keep the fast with a calm and sincere mind.
- ✓Offer water, milk and bel leaves to the Shivalinga.
- ✓Chant "Om Namah Shivaya" through the night.
- ✓Stay awake for the vigil as far as your health allows.
- ✓Feed the needy or donate food after the fast.
What to avoid
- ✕Do not offer tulsi leaves, turmeric or kumkum to Shiva, as tradition keeps them for other worship.
- ✕Avoid grains, onion, garlic and non-vegetarian food during the fast.
- ✕Do not use harsh words or anger on this night.
- ✕Do not break the fast before the proper time in the morning.
Around the country
- Varanasi, Ujjain and the twelve Jyotirlingas: huge crowds and special night worship, with processions at Kashi Vishwanath and Mahakaleshwar.
- Kashmir: known as Herath, celebrated by Kashmiri Pandits over many days, usually peaking around Trayodashi, with a Vatuk (Bhairava) pitcher in which walnuts are soaked and later shared as prasad.
- South India: all-night vigils in temples, with classical dance and music programmes in some places, such as at Isha and Chidambaram.
- Nepal: pilgrims gather at Pashupatinath Temple, and sadhus come from across the region.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Shivaratri kept at night?
Shivaratri literally means the night of Shiva. Tradition places the main worship in the night, especially the Nishita Kaal (midnight), when Shiva is believed to have appeared as the Lingam.
Is it Phalguna or Magha?
It is the same day. In the amanta calendar (South, West) the month is Magha, while the purnimanta calendar (North) calls it Phalguna, because the dark fortnight is counted in the previous month.
Can I keep the fast if I cannot stay awake?
Many people keep a lighter observance, such as a fruit fast with prayer at the nearest prahar. Devotion and a pure mind are what tradition values most.