Quick answer
- Maha Shivaratri 2027
- Saturday, 6 March 2027
- Tithi
- Phalgun Krishna ChaturdashiMagha Krishna Chaturdashi (amanta)
- Fast
- From sunrise until after sunrise the next day
- Observed for
- Shiva’s grace, inner purification and freedom from past wrongs
- Fast and morning abhishekam
- Sat, 6 Mar · Sunrise 06:31 AM
- Parana
- Sun, 7 Mar · After sunrise (06:31 AM)
What is it? The great night of Shiva, kept with a fast, a night vigil and abhishekam.
Why is it observed? It marks Shiva’s appearance as the endless pillar of light (Lingodbhava) and his marriage to Parvati.
How is it observed? A fast through the day, abhishekam with water, milk and bilva leaves in four prahars of the night, chanting Om Namah Shivaya, and parana the next morning.
Maha Shivaratri 2027 date & muhurat
| Chaturdashi tithi begins | Sat, 6 Mar, 12:04 PM |
|---|---|
| Chaturdashi tithi ends | Sun, 7 Mar, 01:47 PM |
| Sunrise | 06:31 AM |
| Sunset | 06:24 PM |
| Nishita Kaal | 12:03 AM – 12:51 AM |
| Paran (breaking the fast) | Sun, 7 Mar, after 06:31 AM |
Day by day
- Sat, 6 Mar
Fast and morning abhishekam · Sunrise 06:31 AM
The fast begins after a morning bath and sankalp.
- Sat, 6 Mar
Nishita Kaal puja · Nishita 12:03 AM – 12:51 AM
The most important puja, at midnight, when Shiva is said to have appeared as the infinite linga of light.
- Sun, 7 Mar
Parana · After sunrise (06:31 AM)
The fast is broken the next morning after sunrise.
Why is Maha Shivaratri observed?
Religious
Shiva appeared as a column of fire without beginning or end (Lingodbhava), humbling Brahma and Vishnu; many traditions also celebrate it as the night of Shiva and Parvati’s wedding.
The night vigil
Staying awake (jagaran) with prayer, abhishekam and chanting through the four prahars is the heart of the festival.
Pilgrimage
Jyotirlingas and great Shiva temples — Srisailam, Kashi Vishwanath, Somnath, Vemulawada — draw lakhs of devotees through the night.
Maha Shivaratri katha
Characters: A hunter (Gurudruha), A family of deer, Lord Shiva
A hunter who had found no prey all day climbed a bilva tree beside a lake at nightfall, waiting for an animal to come to drink. Below the tree, hidden by leaves, was a Shivalinga.
Each time a deer came, he drew his bow; restless and hungry, he plucked bilva leaves that fell on the linga along with drops from his water pouch. Each deer begged to be spared to say goodbye to its family, promising to return, and he let them go.
By morning he had kept a fast and a vigil and offered bilva and water to Shiva through all four prahars without knowing it. When the deer returned as promised, his heart changed and he spared them all. Shiva appeared and blessed him with liberation.
Message: Sincerity and compassion, even without ritual knowledge, reach Shiva.
Maha Shivaratri puja vidhi
Before the puja
- 1Eat a single sattvic meal on the day before (Trayodashi).
- 2Bathe early on Shivaratri and take the sankalp for the fast.
During the puja
- 1Visit a Shiva temple or do abhishekam at home with water, milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugarcane juice.
- 2Offer bilva leaves, white flowers, dhatura and vibhuti; chant Om Namah Shivaya or the Rudram.
- 3Keep a vigil through the night, with an abhishekam in each of the four prahars; the Nishita Kaal puja at midnight matters most.
After the puja
- 1Break the fast the next morning after sunrise and a short puja (parana).
Maha Shivaratri puja samagri
Essential
| Item | Quantity | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Shivalinga (or visit a temple) | 1 | Abhishekam |
| Bilva (bel) leaves | 108 or a bunch | Most dear to Shiva |
| Milk, curd, honey, ghee, sugar | A little of each | Panchamrit abhishekam |
| Vibhuti and sandal paste | A little | Alankaram |
| Dhatura and white flowers | A few | Offering |
| Ghee lamp and incense | 1 | Aarti |
Maha Shivaratri vrat rules
Before the vrat
- A single meal on Trayodashi; no grains on Shivaratri for those keeping a full fast.
Breaking the vrat
- Break the fast the next morning after sunrise, ideally while Chaturdashi has ended.
Phalahar (fruit, milk, sabudana) or a water-only fast are both common; the elderly, the unwell and pregnant women should eat as their health needs.
Do's and don'ts
✅ Do
- Offer bilva leaves with the smooth side down on the linga.
- Stay awake and chant through the night if you can.
- Visit a Shiva temple.
❌ Avoid
- Offer tulsi or ketaki flowers to Shiva.
- Use turmeric or kumkum on the Shivalinga.
- Fast beyond what your health allows.
Maha Shivaratri mantras
Panchakshari
ॐ नमः शिवाय
తెలుగు లిపిలో
ఓం నమః శివాయ
oṃ namaḥ śivāya
Meaning: Salutations to Shiva.
Maha Mrityunjaya mantra
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्।
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात्॥
తెలుగు లిపిలో
ఓం త్ర్యమ్బకం యజామహే సుగన్ధిం పుష్టివర్ధనమ్।
ఉర్వారుకమివ బన్ధనాన్మృత్యోర్ముక్షీయ మాఽమృతాత్॥
oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam| urvārukamiva bandhanānmṛtyormukṣīya mā’mṛtāt||
Meaning: We worship the three-eyed one, fragrant, who nourishes all; may he free us from death as a ripe cucumber from its stem, but not from immortality.
Maha Shivaratri across India
Telugu states
Lakhs gather at Srisailam (Mallikarjuna), Vemulawada, Keesaragutta and Kotappakonda, where giant prabhas are taken out.
Kashmir
Herath, kept a day earlier by Kashmiri Pandits with the worship of a pot (vatuk).
Varanasi and Ujjain
Shiva’s wedding procession (Shiv barat) and night-long darshan at Kashi Vishwanath and Mahakaleshwar.
Perform Maha Shivaratri puja with Rutviju
Online pujas are performed at the temple in your name — you receive photos and video from the pandit. Offline pujas are performed at your home by a verified pandit.
Sources & method
- Shiva Purana (Vidyeshvara and Koti Rudra Samhitas): Lingodbhava and the hunter’s story.
- Garuda and Skanda Purana accounts of Shivaratri vrat.
Dates and muhurtams on this page are calculated for Hyderabad from the positions of the Sun and Moon (Lahiri ayanamsa, IST). Printed panchangams can differ by a minute or two, and a few festivals are kept on different days in different traditions — follow your family's panchangam and pandit where they differ.
Frequently asked questions
When is Maha Shivaratri 2027?
Maha Shivaratri 2027 is on Saturday, 6 March 2027. Phalgun Krishna Chaturdashi (Magha Krishna Chaturdashi in the amanta calendar) runs from Sat, 6 Mar, 12:04 PM to Sun, 7 Mar, 01:47 PM, IST, as calculated for Hyderabad.
When is the Maha Shivaratri paran?
Break the fast on Sunday, 7 March 2027, after sunrise at 06:31 AM in Hyderabad, following your family's tradition.
Is the Maha Shivaratri date the same in every city?
Usually, but not always. Sunrise, sunset and moonrise differ from city to city, and the festival is kept on the day its tithi prevails at the right time of day, so the muhurtams — and occasionally the date — can change. Choose your city above to see local timings.
When should I break the Maha Shivaratri fast?
The next morning after sunrise (parana). The time for your city is shown above.
Which is the most important puja time on Shivaratri?
Nishita Kaal, around midnight. Many also do an abhishekam in each of the four prahars of the night.
Can a pandit do Rudrabhishekam at home on Shivaratri?
Yes. Book Maha Shivaratri Puja or Rudrabhishekam and a verified pandit comes with the samagri list; online puja at a jyotirlinga is another option.
What should I eat during the Shivaratri fast?
Those not keeping a water-only fast take fruit, milk, sabudana or other vrat food; avoid grains, onion and garlic.