Maha Shivratri 2027महाशिवरात्रि
Maha Shivratri 2027 is on Saturday, March 6, 2027. The wedding of Shiva and Parvati, the jyotirlinga and Neelkanth kathas, the four prahar night puja and the vrat.
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12:54The story of Maha Shivratri
Maha Shivratri is the great night of Shiva, kept on the Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi. Three kathas meet in it. On this night Shiva and Parvati were wed, the ascetic accepting the mountain’s daughter after her long tapasya. On this night Shiva first blazed as the endless column of light, the jyotirlinga whose beginning Brahma and Vishnu could not find. And when the churning of the ocean raised the poison halahala, it was Shiva who drank it and held it in his throat, becoming Neelkanth, the blue-throated one who keeps the world from burning.
Unlike most festivals, Shivratri is a night, not a day: a vigil of four prahars, each with its own abhishek of water, milk, honey and bel patra on the Shivling, with the japa of Om Namah Shivaya carrying the devotee to dawn. It is held to be the night when the ascetic and the householder, the fasting widow and the wandering sadhu, stand equally close to Mahadev.
How Maha Shivratri is celebrated
| The vrat | a day fast, fruit or nirjala by capacity, with the sankalp taken in the morning. |
| Four prahar puja | abhishek in each quarter of the night: water, then milk and curd, then honey and ghee, then bel patra and bhasma. |
| Bel patra and japa | the three-leafed bel offered with Om Namah Shivaya or the Maha Mrityunjaya japa. |
| Jagran | the night is kept awake with kirtan and katha; the fast is broken after sunrise. |
The twelve jyotirlinga shrines, from Somnath to Kashi Vishwanath, see the greatest night processions, Ujjain leads the Mahakal shahi sawari tradition, and in the South the vigil is kept with Lingashtakam and Rudrabhishek through the night. The monthly Masik Shivratri and the Sawan Shivratri of the Shravan month are the smaller echoes of this great night.
Maha Shivratri checklist: what to arrange in advance
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Fresh items, flowers, fruit, sweets and leaves, are best bought from your local market on the day.
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Frequently asked questions
When is Maha Shivratri in 2027?
Maha Shivratri is on Saturday, March 6, 2027. The main puja belongs to the night, through its four prahars.
Why is Shivratri observed at night?
The name itself means the night of Shiva: the wedding, the jyotirlinga and the drinking of the poison are all night kathas, and the Chaturdashi tithi is honoured in its night hours with a four-prahar vigil.
What is the difference between Maha Shivratri and Sawan Shivratri?
A Shivratri falls every lunar month; the one in Shravan is dear to kanwariyas, but the Maha (great) Shivratri of Phalguna is the principal night of the year.
What is offered on the Shivling?
Water and milk above all, with bel patra, dhatura, bhasma and white flowers; tulsi and haldi are traditionally not offered to Shiva.
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Dates are verified against authoritative Panchang sources (Drik Panchang, New Delhi). Traditions vary by family and region; for muhurat and puja vidhi please also consult your family panditji.