Maha Shivaratri

The great night of Shiva — kept awake rather than celebrated, with abhisheka through four watches of the night.

Shivaratri sits on the darkest night before the new moon at winter's end — the low point of the year's light. Sitting up through it, awake and fasting, is a rehearsal of endurance rather than a celebration, which is why this festival has no feast and almost no colour.

• Anyone who wishes to honour Shiva may observe it; there is no requirement of initiation or priesthood for the home version.
• Families often keep the fast together, while children, elders, pregnant or unwell people take a lighter form — fruit, milk, or simply the puja without fasting.
• In many families the observance passes down through the women of the house or through a family tradition tied to Shiva; follow your family's custom where it differs from the general description here.

1. 1Bathe, wear clean clothes and clear a small space for the deity.
2. 2Light a lamp and an incense stick, and offer water, flowers and a simple sweet from the samagri list below.
3. 3Say Shiva's name or the mantra on this page eleven times, with your intention for the day.
4. 4Read the short katha on this page aloud, offer the bhog, and share the prasad.
5. 5Keep the day's food rule as far as your health allows, and end it gently the next morning.

Nirjala (waterless) for the strict; most keep phalahar — fruit, milk, water, no grain or salt — from sunrise to the next morning.

• ×Fixing the puja by the clock instead of the tithi. Krishna Chaturdashi can begin or end part-way through the day in your city, so check your Panchang the evening before.
• ×Gathering samagri on the morning itself. Items such as bilva (bel) leaves, in threes, unbroken and milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar for panchamrita are often unavailable at the last minute.
• ×Breaking the fast heavily or at the wrong moment. Parana is meant to be gentle — water, fruit or prasad first — and is kept within the window your tradition follows.
• ×Taking one region's practice as the only correct one. Kashmir Shaivism keeps Herath over several days as a household festival; Lingayats treat the day as the central observance of the year; some traditions place the festival in Magha rather than Phalguna.
• ×Rushing the steps without knowing why each one is done, which makes the observance hard to repeat next year.

Kashmir Shaivism keeps Herath over several days as a household festival; Lingayats treat the day as the central observance of the year; some traditions place the festival in Magha rather than Phalguna. Whether the night marks Shiva's marriage to Parvati, the tandava, or the lingam's appearance differs by Purana.

Regional scope

Pan-Indian practice, with regional notes given above

Last reviewed

September 2026

Reviewed by

DharmaPath editorial team, from traditional texts and household practice

Explanations here are written in our own words from traditional sources; timings, muhurta and local custom should be confirmed with your Panchang or family priest.