Maha Shivaratri falls on the night of the dark fourteenth (Chaturdashi) in the month of Magha by the months that end at the full Moon, and is the most important night of Shiva. It is a night of fasting and wakefulness. Temples are full; many homes keep a quieter vigil with a Shivalinga or a picture, water, leaves and a lamp.
Timing
The worship is done through the night, and many follow the four prahars, each about three hours long, starting after sunset. The date depends on which evening Chaturdashi covers the night, and the prahar times depend on local sunset and sunrise. The Maha Shivaratri page lists the date and the night puja times for 49 cities, including New Delhi, Los Angeles and London. For another place use the any-city tool. Dates are not repeated here.
Samagri: what to gather
| Item | Use |
|---|---|
| Shivalinga, or a picture of Shiva | Where the worship is done |
| Clean water, raw milk, curd, honey, ghee, sugar | The five substances of abhishek, with water |
| Bel (bilva) leaves, in threes | The leaf most dear to Shiva in the tradition |
| White flowers, dhatura or aak flowers where customary | Offered in some regions |
| Sandal paste, vibhuti (sacred ash), rice grains | For the Linga |
| Incense, lamp, camphor, a bell | Worship and aarti |
| Fruit, sweets, thandai where customary | Naivedya |
| A cloth or sacred thread | Offered in some homes |
Steps in order
- Bathe in the morning, take the sankalp, and begin the fast. Spend the day in simple work and quiet prayer.
- In the evening, bathe again and set up the Linga on a plate or tray with the vessel above or below for the water.
- First prahar, after sunset: bathe the Linga with water, offer bel leaves, flowers and incense, and chant Om Namah Shivaya.
- Second prahar: bathe with curd, offer fruits and repeat the mantra.
- Third prahar: bathe with ghee, offer sweets, and continue.
- Fourth prahar, towards dawn: bathe with honey, offer a last set of leaves and flowers, and sing the Shiv aarti.
- After sunrise, offer a final prayer, and break the fast with a simple meal and the prasad.
Many households do the same with only water and leaves, and keep a single sitting in the evening. That is accepted.
The katha
The story most often told is of a hunter, called Chitrabhanu or Suswara in different tellings. As the tradition has it, he went into the forest to hunt, found no game by evening and climbed a bel tree beside a pond to wait for deer. To stay awake he plucked the leaves and let them fall one by one. Below the tree, unknown to him, was a Shivalinga, and the leaves and the water dripping from his pot fell upon it through the night.
He had also gone without food the entire day. At dawn he went home, and at the end of his life, the story says, the messengers of Yama were turned away by the attendants of Shiva, for he had unknowingly worshipped through the night. The lesson drawn by the tradition is that sincerity, even accidental, is received kindly, and that the night itself is the gift. The story is not offered as a guarantee of anything.
Regional variations
Customs differ by region and family; follow your family’s custom. In Kashmir the festival, Herath, lasts several days and is kept with walnuts and a special puja. In south India, temples hold all-night recitals and dances such as at Chidambaram. In Maharashtra and the north, thandai and vegetarian fare mark the breaking of the fast.
Fasting and food
Many devotees keep a full fast; others take fruit, milk, sabudana and kuttu flour in the evening, using rock salt. Staying awake all night can be hard. If you are pregnant, diabetic, unwell, elderly or on medication, please speak to your doctor before fasting, and sit for part of the night instead.
Frequently asked questions
↳ What is the difference between Shivaratri and Maha Shivaratri?
Every month has a Masik Shivaratri on the dark fourteenth. Maha Shivaratri is the one in Magha (Phalguna by the amanta months), regarded as the most significant of the year.
↳ Why are bel leaves offered in threes?
The trifoliate bel leaf is linked in tradition with the three eyes or the trident of Shiva. Offer clean, unbroken leaves with the smooth side down on the Linga.
↳ Must I stay awake all night?
The jagaran, the night vigil, is the tradition. Many people sit for as much of it as they comfortably can, especially in the first and the last prahar.
↳ Can women do the abhishek?
Customs differ among temples and families. At home, anyone in the household can worship the Linga or a picture of Shiva with water and leaves.