Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

Hinduism

Maha Shivaratri

When is Maha Shivaratri in 2027, the great night of Shiva: its stories, the all-night vigil and worship of the linga, fasting and pilgrimage to Shiva temples.

Next date

Saturday, 6 March 2027

In brief

  1. I.Maha Shivaratri, “the great night of Shiva”, is the main festival of the god Shiva.
  2. II.Devotees fast and keep vigil through the night.
  3. III.The Shiva linga is bathed with milk, water and honey and offered bilva leaves.
  4. IV.Stories link it with Shiva’s cosmic dance and with his marriage to Parvati.

Chapter I

What it celebrates

Many stories explain the night. In one, Shiva appeared as an endless pillar of fire to end a quarrel between Brahma and Vishnu. In another, it is the night of his marriage to the goddess Parvati. Some traditions say Shiva performs his cosmic dance of creation and destruction on this night.

Above all, it is a night to overcome darkness by turning the mind to Shiva.

Chapter II

How it is kept

Devotees fast during the day and go to temples where the linga is bathed with milk, water, yoghurt, honey and ghee, and offered leaves of the bilva tree. Through the night they chant Om Namah Shivaya, sing hymns and keep watch in four periods of worship.

Chapter III

Around the world

Pilgrims crowd the great Shiva temples of Varanasi, Ujjain and Somnath. At the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, holy men gather from across South Asia. In Mauritius pilgrims walk to the sacred lake Ganga Talao.

Questions people ask

What is the linga?

A rounded stone pillar that represents Shiva in temples and shrines, the formless source of creation. It usually rests on a base representing the goddess.

Why stay awake?

Staying alert through the night in prayer and chanting is a form of devotion and of overcoming darkness and ignorance.

Sources and further reading

  1. Toronto Metropolitan University, “2027 Calendar of Religious, Indigenous and Spiritual Observances”
  2. Gavin Flood, An Introduction to Hinduism (Cambridge University Press, 1996)
  3. Wendy Doniger, The Hindus: An Alternative History (Penguin, 2009)

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