Maha Shivaratri 2026
Maha Shivaratri 2026 falls on in Delhi, India (Nishita Kaal, computed for local midnight).
Dates are computed for Delhi, India (Udaya Tithi, Smarta convention; Pradosh dated by sunset, Sankashti by moonrise). See about for the full method and the Vaishnava difference on kshaya dates.
About Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri, the great night of Shiva, falls on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Phalguna. Tradition holds that on this night Shiva performed the tandava, or the marriage of Shiva and Parvati is commemorated — the telling varies by region, but the vigil itself is universal.
Devotees fast through the day and keep a night-long jagran, offering bilva leaves, milk and water to the lingam during each of the four night watches. The Shivaratri puja is performed at nishita, the midnight window, and next morning the fast is broken.
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Other years
Maha Shivaratri 2026 Maha Shivaratri 2027 (2027-03-06)
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Frequently asked questions
- When is Maha Shivaratri in 2026?
- Maha Shivaratri 2026 falls on in Delhi, India (Nishita Kaal, computed for local midnight).
- What is Maha Shivaratri?
- Maha Shivaratri, the great night of Shiva, falls on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Phalguna. Tradition holds that on this night Shiva performed the tandava, or the marriage of Shiva and Parvati is commemorated — the telling varies by region, but the vigil itself is universal.
- How is Maha Shivaratri observed?
- Devotees fast through the day and keep a night-long jagran, offering bilva leaves, milk and water to the lingam during each of the four night watches. The Shivaratri puja is performed at nishita, the midnight window, and next morning the fast is broken.
- Why might Maha Shivaratri fall on a different day elsewhere?
- Observance dates follow the tithi current at local sunrise, so cities with different sunrise times can observe a day earlier or later. Vaishnava calendars also shift dates when a tithi touches no sunrise (kshaya).