Maha Shivratri · Mahashivaratri
The great night of Shiva: fasting, abhishek and night-long prayer.
In 131 days Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi (amanta: Magha Krishna Chaturdashi)Times for New Delhi (IST)
Date, muhurat and timings
Rule: Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi (purnimanta), at nishita (midnight)
Maha Shivratri timings, Saturday, 6 March 2027, New Delhi
| Chaturdashi tithi begins | 12:04 pm |
|---|---|
| Chaturdashi tithi ends | 1:47 pm (7 Mar) |
| Nishita kaal (midnight) | 12:07 am (7 Mar) – 12:56 am (7 Mar) |
| First prahar puja | 6:23 pm – 9:28 pm |
| Second prahar puja | 9:28 pm – 12:32 am (7 Mar) |
| Third prahar puja | 12:32 am (7 Mar) – 3:36 am (7 Mar) |
| Fourth prahar puja | 3:36 am (7 Mar) – 6:40 am (7 Mar) |
| Parana (breaking the fast) | 6:40 am (7 Mar) – 12:40 pm (7 Mar) |
| Sunrise | 6:41 am |
| Sunset | 6:23 pm |
The time after that: Wednesday, 23 February 2028
All times are for New Delhi, computed from the sidereal (Lahiri) panchang. They update themselves daily and roll over to the next date once the festival has passed. Today’s panchang for New Delhi
Maha Shivratri is the great night of Lord Shiva. Devotees fast, offer water, milk and bel leaves to the Shivling and stay awake in prayer through the four watches (prahars) of the night. Here is this year’s date and the nishita and prahar timings for your city.
Meaning and story of Maha Shivratri
Shivratri is remembered as the night of Shiva and Parvati’s wedding, the night Shiva performed the cosmic dance, and the night he appeared as an endless pillar of light. Whatever the story, the night invites stillness: fasting, chanting and staying awake as an inner discipline.
The most important moment is nishita kaal, the middle part of the night, when the main abhishek is performed. Temples stay open all night and “Om Namah Shivaya” is chanted till dawn.
Puja vidhi, step by step
- Bathe in the morning and take a vow (sankalp) to keep the fast as your health allows.
- Visit a temple or set up a Shivling at home.
- In each prahar, offer water, milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar (panchamrit), bel leaves, dhatura and white flowers.
- Chant “Om Namah Shivaya” or the Mahamrityunjaya mantra; keep a lamp burning.
- Perform the main puja in nishita kaal.
- Break the fast the next morning after sunrise.
What you will need
- Bel (bilva) leaves
- Milk, curd, honey, ghee, sugar
- Ganga water
- Dhatura and white flowers
- Rudraksha mala
- Diya, incense, sandalwood
Do
- Keep the fast your body can manage: fruit and milk is fully traditional.
- Use the prahar timings for your city.
- Meditate for a while in the quiet of the night.
- Offer milk to the needy, not only to the Shivling.
Avoid
- Don’t offer tulsi or ketaki flowers to Shiva by tradition.
- Avoid grains, onion and garlic during the fast.
- Don’t force children, elders or the unwell to stay awake or fast.
- Avoid waste: a small amount of milk is enough for abhishek.
A small note for each rashi this Maha Shivratri
Gentle, general suggestions for your Moon sign, not predictions. Every sign is welcome at every festival.
- Mesha Aries
Your gift: initiative, comfortable going first. Try a short silent sit after the puja; stillness balances your natural drive.
- Vrishabha Taurus
Your gift: patience and staying power. Keep the ritual simple and regular; a steady daily practice suits you best.
- Mithuna Gemini
Your gift: fast learning and adaptability. Chanting or singing with others will lift you; let the words carry the prayer.
- Karka Cancer
Your gift: empathy and emotional intelligence. Devotion comes naturally to you; let the day refill you rather than tire you.
- Simha Leo
Your gift: natural authority and presence. Try a short silent sit after the puja; stillness balances your natural drive.
- Kanya Virgo
Your gift: analytical precision. Keep the ritual simple and regular; a steady daily practice suits you best.
- Tula Libra
Your gift: diplomacy and tact. Chanting or singing with others will lift you; let the words carry the prayer.
- Vrishchika Scorpio
Your gift: depth and focus. Devotion comes naturally to you; let the day refill you rather than tire you.
- Dhanu Sagittarius
Your gift: optimism and faith. Try a short silent sit after the puja; stillness balances your natural drive.
- Makara Capricorn
Your gift: discipline and patience. Keep the ritual simple and regular; a steady daily practice suits you best.
- Kumbha Aquarius
Your gift: original, independent thinking. Chanting or singing with others will lift you; let the words carry the prayer.
- Meena Pisces
Your gift: compassion and kindness. Devotion comes naturally to you; let the day refill you rather than tire you.
Questions about Maha Shivratri
When is Maha Shivratri?
The next Maha Shivratri is on Saturday, 6 March 2027: Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi (purnimanta), at nishita (midnight). For New Delhi, nishita kaal (midnight): 12:07 am (7 Mar) – 12:56 am (7 Mar). Times change by city; choose yours above.
What is nishita kaal?
The eighth of the fifteen muhurtas of the night, around local midnight. It is the most important time for Shiva puja on Maha Shivratri.
What are the four prahars?
The night from sunset to sunrise is divided into four equal watches. Many devotees perform an abhishek in each one; the timings for your city are above.
How is Maha Shivratri different from monthly Shivratri?
Every Krishna Chaturdashi is a Masik Shivratri. The one in Phalguna (Magha in the amanta calendar) is the Maha, or great, Shivratri.
When should the fast be broken?
The next morning after sunrise, ideally after a short puja. The parana window above shows a suitable time.
How are these dates worked out?
Every festival is fixed by a rule: the lunar month, the paksha, the tithi, and the part of the day (such as pradosh, madhyahna or nishita) in which that tithi must fall. Our engine finds the next time that happens from the sidereal (Lahiri) Sun and Moon and computes the muhurat from your city’s sunrise and sunset. Dates are checked against Drik Panchang. Where traditions differ, such as Smarta and Vaishnava reckoning, we say so above; your family custom or local priest always comes first.
Pair the festival with your own chart
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