In short
- Maha Shivaratri 2027
- Saturday, 6 March 2027
- Tithi
- Phalgun Krishna ChaturdashiMagha Krishna Chaturdashi (amanta)
- Fast
- Many fast the whole day and night
- Observed for
- Release from wrongs, inner calm, Shiva’s grace
- Parane
- Sun, 7 Mar · After sunrise (06:32 AM)
What is it? The great night of Shiva, on Chaturdashi of the dark half of Magha.
Why do families keep it? The night Shiva appeared as an endless pillar of fire, and the night of his marriage to Parvati; above all, a night to stay awake to him.
What happens on the day? A fast, abhisheka with water and milk, bilva leaves, Om Namah Shivaya through the night, and the jagarane (vigil) until dawn.
When to observe Maha Shivaratri in 2027
| Chaturdashi tithi begins | Sat, 6 Mar, 12:04 PM |
|---|---|
| Chaturdashi tithi ends | Sun, 7 Mar, 01:47 PM |
| Sunset | 06:29 PM |
| Nishita Kaal | 12:07 AM – 12:55 AM |
| Sunrise | 06:33 AM |
| Parane — ending the fast | Sun, 7 Mar, after 06:32 AM |
How the days unfold
- Sat, 6 Mar
Maha Shivaratri · Nishita 12:07 AM – 12:55 AM
Fast through the day, four yama pujas through the night, with the midnight puje at Nishita.
- Sun, 7 Mar
Parane · After sunrise (06:32 AM)
The fast ends after sunrise, after a bath and a short puje.
What Maha Shivaratri means
The pillar of fire
When Brahma and Vishnu argued over who was greater, a pillar of fire appeared with no top or bottom. Neither could find its end. Shiva stepped out of it — the first linga.
Staying awake
Jagarane — staying awake — is the heart of the night. Temples hold bhajane, harikathe and yakshagana until dawn.
Padayatra to Dharmasthala
Thousands walk from Bengaluru, Mysuru and beyond to Dharmasthala’s Manjunatha in the days before Shivaratri.
The hunter and the bilva tree
Who is in it: The hunter (Lubdhaka), Shiva, A family of deer
A hunter went out on the night of Chaturdashi and found nothing. Night fell, and afraid of animals, he climbed a bilva tree to stay safe.
To keep awake, he plucked leaves and dropped them. Below the tree, hidden in the grass, was a Shiva linga — and the leaves fell on it all night. Dew dripped from his body onto it too.
Through the night deer came to the water. Each time he raised his bow, the deer asked to go home first and promised to return. He let them go.
At dawn the deer came back as promised. The hunter, moved by their honesty, could not kill them. Shiva appeared and blessed him: without knowing it, he had fasted, stayed awake, offered bilva and water, and shown mercy on Shivaratri.
What it teaches: Shiva asks little — a sleepless night, a leaf, a little water, and a heart that can spare a life.
Maha Shivaratri puja at home, step by step
Getting ready
- 1Eat once on Trayodashi.
- 2Keep bilva leaves, milk, curd, honey, ghee, sugar and water ready.
The puja
- 1Bathe and take the sankalpa for the fast and vigil.
- 2Do abhisheka on the linga with water, milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar, one by one.
- 3Offer bilva leaves, flowers, vibhuti and a lamp; chant Om Namah Shivaya.
- 4If you can, do a puje in each of the four quarters (yamas) of the night, with the main one at Nishita (midnight).
- 5Stay awake — bhajane, the Shiva Purana, or quiet japa.
Closing the puja
- 1After sunrise the next morning, bathe, do a short puje, and break the fast.
- 2Give food to someone in need.
What to keep ready for Maha Shivaratri
Must have
| What | How much | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Bilva leaves (in threes) | 108 or more | Offering |
| Milk, curd, honey, ghee, sugar | A little of each | Panchamrita abhisheka |
| Vibhuti, flowers, lamp, agarbatti | As needed | Puje |
| Rudraksha mala | 1 | Japa |
Good to have
| What | How much | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Shiva Purana or Rudram book | — | Reading through the night |
Family and regional customs
| What | How much | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Fruit and sabudana | — | Phalahara for the fast |
Keeping the Maha Shivaratri fast
The day before
- A single meal on Trayodashi.
On the fasting day
- No grains for the day and night; water, fruit and milk for many.
- Stay awake through the night.
Ending the fast
- After sunrise, after bathing and a puje.
If a full fast is not right for your health, phalahara (fruit and milk) or a single meal keeps the vrata just as truly. Ask your elders or our pandit.
Good practice, and what to avoid
Please do
- Stay awake, at least until the midnight puje.
- Offer bilva with the smooth side down.
- Chant Om Namah Shivaya.
Best avoided
- Offer kumkuma or turmeric to the linga — vibhuti and sandal paste are used.
- Offer ketaki (screwpine) flowers to Shiva.
Chants for Maha Shivaratri
Panchakshari
ॐ नमः शिवाय
ಕನ್ನಡ ಲಿಪಿಯಲ್ಲಿ
ಓಂ ನಮಃ ಶಿವಾಯ
oṃ namaḥ śivāya
What it means: A bow to Shiva.
Mahamrityunjaya mantra
ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्।
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान्मृत्योर्मुक्षीय माऽमृतात्॥
ಕನ್ನಡ ಲಿಪಿಯಲ್ಲಿ
ಓಂ ತ್ರ್ಯಮ್ಬಕಂ ಯಜಾಮಹೇ ಸುಗನ್ಧಿಂ ಪುಷ್ಟಿವರ್ಧನಮ್।
ಉರ್ವಾರುಕಮಿವ ಬನ್ಧನಾನ್ಮೃತ್ಯೋರ್ಮುಕ್ಷೀಯ ಮಾಽಮೃತಾತ್॥
oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam| urvārukamiva bandhanānmṛtyormukṣīya mā’mṛtāt||
What it means: We worship the three-eyed one, fragrant, who makes us grow. Free us from death as a ripe cucumber falls from its vine — but not from immortality.
Maha Shivaratri from region to region
Gokarna and Murudeshwara
The Atmalinga at Gokarna draws pilgrims who bathe in the sea before darshan; Murudeshwara’s great Shiva by the sea is lit all night.
Nanjangud
Srikanteshwara temple’s Shivaratri jatre.
Dharmasthala
Padayatris from across Karnataka arrive for Manjunatha’s darshan.
Have the Maha Shivaratri puja done for you
Two ways to do it. At a temple: the pandit takes your family’s name and gotra in the sankalpa and sends you the photos and video. At home: a pandit from our panel comes to you with the vidhi, and you sit for the puja yourself.
Where this comes from
- Shiva Purana, Vidyeshvara Samhita, for the pillar of fire.
- Shiva Purana and Garuda Purana for the hunter’s story.
- Rig Veda 7.59.12 for the Mahamrityunjaya mantra.
How we work out the dates: Stuti Mandir’s own panchanga engine places the Sun and Moon (Lahiri ayanamsa) and checks the tithi against sunrise, sunset and moonrise in Bengaluru, in IST. A printed panchanga may differ by a minute or so. Where your family’s panchanga or your purohita says otherwise, go with them.
Questions devotees ask us
When is Maha Shivaratri 2027?
Saturday, 6 March 2027. In Bengaluru, Magha Krishna Chaturdashi (amanta; Phalgun Krishna Chaturdashi in the North Indian count) begins Sat, 6 Mar, 12:04 PM and ends Sun, 7 Mar, 01:47 PM IST.
When do I end the Maha Shivaratri fast?
On Sunday, 7 March 2027, once the sun is up — 06:32 AM in Bengaluru. Follow your family’s custom for what to eat first.
Will Mysuru and Delhi keep Maha Shivaratri on the same day?
Mostly yes. But the sun rises and sets at different times in different towns, and a habba is kept on the day its tithi is running at the right hour — so timings shift, and once in a while the date does too. Change the town above to see yours.
When is the Nishita puje?
Around midnight — the table above gives the exact Nishita window for your town.
Can I book Rudrabhisheka at home on Shivaratri?
Yes. Our pandits do Rudrabhisheka and Maha Shivaratri puje at home, including the night yamas if you wish.