Maha Shivaratri 2025 in India

Maha Shivaratri is a significant Hindu festival celebrated each year in honor of the deity Shiva. It marks the sacred union of Shiva and Parvati and the divine dance of Shiva, known as the Tandava. This festival holds deep meaning in Hinduism, symbolizing the triumph over darkness and ignorance in life and the world.

Festival Highlights

Unlike most Hindu festivals that are marked by cultural revelry, Maha Shivaratri is a solemn occasion focused on introspection, fasting, meditation on Shiva, self-study, social harmony, and an all-night vigil at Shiva temples. The night is observed as a time to "overcome darkness and ignorance" in life and the world through devotion to Shiva. Devotees offer fruits, leaves, sweets, and milk to Shiva, while many observe day-long fasts and engage in Vedic rituals or meditative yoga. In Shiva temples, the sacred mantra "Om Namah Shivaya" is chanted continuously throughout the day and night.

Main Rituals

Maha Shivaratri Puja begins early in the morning as devotees start their day with a pre-dawn bath, dress in fresh attire, and visit Shiva temples. The day holds special significance for women, who perform traditional rituals using water, milk, Bel leaves, and fruits like Ber (Indian jujube), accompanied by incense sticks. Devotees circumambulate the Shiva Lingam three or seven times, pouring milk and presenting offerings of leaves, fruits, and flowers while engaging in prayers and worship with incense, honoring Lord Shiva.

Places to Witness

The auspicious occasion of Maha Shivaratri is celebrated in diverse ways across different cultures and regions of India. In Tamil Nadu, the day is marked at the Annamalai Temple, where devotees honor Lord Shiva with a 14-kilometer barefoot pilgrimage known as Girivalam or Giri Pradakshina, encircling the temple situated atop a hill.

In the town of Mandi, the Mandi Fair draws devotees from across the country, as it is believed that around 200 Hindu deities gather there for this special day. Statues of gods and goddesses are carried on elaborate palanquins by devotees who travel from distant villages. The processions are accompanied by the melodies of traditional Indian instruments and the singing of devotional songs.

The fair also serves as a bustling marketplace where locals gather to sell regional products, including wool, opium, honey, walnuts, clarified butter, and various goods from areas like Kangra, Kullu, Shimla, Bilaspur, and the neighboring state of Punjab.

In West Bengal, unmarried women journey to the sacred site of Tarakeswar to offer prayers in hopes of finding an ideal husband. Meanwhile, women devotees across regions bathe the Shivalinga with milk and offer prayers for the health and well-being of their husbands and sons.

Dates

Maha Shivaratri is held annually in February–March. In 2025, it will take place on Wednesday, February 26.