Maha Shivratri 2027 — Date, Puja Muhurat & Fasting Guide

Maha Shivratri 2027 falls on Saturday, March 6, 2027 — the great night of Shiva observed on Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi (Magha in the amanta reckoning — the 14th night of the dark fortnight). Maha Shivratri is the most important night in Shaiva tradition — the night on which Shiva is said to perform the Tandava (cosmic dance), and on which the Shiva Linga first manifested as an infinite column of light (Jyotirlinga) to settle the dispute between Brahma and Vishnu.

The most auspicious puja moment is the Nishita Kaal: 12:07 to 12:57 AM IST on March 7 (midnight of Maha Shivratri night) — a 49-minute window when the Chaturdashi tithi and the night's midpoint coincide. The 4-prahar (4-watch) puja system runs from sunset on March 6 through sunrise on March 7.

Reviewed by Dr. Meenakshi Sharma, M.A. Sanskrit & Vedic Studies, Varanasi, with 20+ years of practice in Vedic festival traditions.

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Maha Shivratri 2027 is on Saturday, March 6, with the most sacred Nishita Kaal falling past midnight on the morning of March 7. The festival spans a full night — from sunset March 6 to sunrise March 7. Chaturdashi tithi begins at 12:03 PM on March 6 and the night-long vigil (Jaagaran) is the central practice.

Year | Date | Day | Nishita Kaal (New Delhi)

1. 2025 | February 26 | Wednesday | 00:08 – 01:00 AM (Feb 27)
2. 2026 | February 15 | Sunday | 00:09 – 01:01 AM (Feb 16)
3. 2027 | March 6 | Saturday | 00:07 – 00:57 AM (Mar 7)
4. 2028 | February 23 | Wednesday | see drikpanchang.com

The complete Maha Shivratri puja runs across 4 Prahars (3-hour night watches) from sunset March 6 to sunrise March 7 — starting 6:24 PM, 9:28 PM, 12:32 AM, and 3:36 AM in New Delhi. Each Prahar has its own abhishek (ritual bathing of the Shiva Linga):

Prahar | Time (New Delhi) | Ruling Deity Form | Abhishek Offering

1. 1st Prahar | 18:11 – 21:06 | Shiva as Mahadeva | Milk (Dugdha Abhishek)
2. 2nd Prahar | 21:06 – 00:02 | Shiva as Umapati | Curd (Dadhi Abhishek)
3. 3rd Prahar | 00:02 – 02:58 | Shiva as Nataraj | Ghee (Ghrita Abhishek)
4. 4th Prahar | 02:58 – 05:53 | Shiva as Sadashiva | Honey (Madhu Abhishek)

Nishita Kaal (12:07–12:57 AM) spans the junction of the 2nd and 3rd Prahars — making the midnight abhishek the most potent single ritual of the night.

Source: DrikPanchang panchanga calculations for New Delhi. Prahar timings shift by approximately 20–45 minutes for eastern and western cities.

Maha Shivratri 2027 Nishita Kaal by City

City | Nishita Kaal

1. New Delhi | 00:07 – 00:57 AM (Mar 7)
2. City-wise Nishita windows vary by a few minutes — verify your city at drikpanchang.com.

Verify exact timings at drikpanchang.com for your city.

Maha Shivratri is distinct from the monthly Shivratri (the 13th/14th dark fortnight nights that occur each month) in three ways:

1. The Jyotirlinga manifestation: The Shiva Purana records that on this night, Shiva first appeared as an infinite column of light (Jyotirlinga) to resolve the dispute between Brahma and Vishnu, each of whom claimed supremacy. Brahma flew upward seeking the top of the column; Vishnu burrowed downward seeking the bottom. Neither found an end. Shiva then revealed himself as the column itself — the infinite, without beginning or end. The 12 Jyotirlingas across India are said to mark where this column of light touched earth.

2. The Shiva-Parvati marriage: Many traditions celebrate Maha Shivratri as the night of Shiva and Parvati's marriage. Parvati had performed intense austerities for Shiva; on this night, Shiva accepted her as his consort. This makes Maha Shivratri the most powerful night for marriage-related prayers and for women seeking devoted husbands.

3. The Tandava: Shiva performs the Ananda Tandava (dance of bliss) on Maha Shivratri — the cosmic dance that simultaneously creates, sustains, and destroys the universe. Witnessing, hearing, or mentally visualizing the Tandava on this night is said to bestow liberation.

The Shiva Purana records the primary origin story: A hunter (Lubdhaka) accidentally spent the night in a Bilva tree near a Shiva Linga while hunting. Shivering from cold, he shook the tree throughout the night, and Bilva leaves fell onto the Linga below. Without intending to, he had performed an all-night Bilva leaf offering to Shiva. At dawn, a deer passed — and instead of shooting it, the hunter was so transformed by the night's accidental worship that he let it go. Shiva, pleased, granted him liberation (moksha).

The teaching: the sincerity of the heart matters more than the ritual's form. An unconscious offering that came from the circumstances of the night was enough. This story is why Maha Shivratri night-long vigil (Jaagaran) and Bilva leaf offering are central practices — the hunter's accidental pattern became the prescribed worship.

The complete puja sequence for March 6–7, 2027:

1. Complete a ritual bath before sunset on March 6; wear white or ash-gray clothes 2. Visit the nearest Shiva temple or set up a Shiva Linga at home 3. 1st Prahar (18:11): Perform Pancha Amrita Abhishek — bathe the Linga with milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar in sequence; offer Bilva leaves (3-leaflet clusters, facing front of Linga) 4. 2nd Prahar (21:06): Curd abhishek; offer white flowers (dhatura is specifically sacred to Shiva but avoid touching with bare hands); chant Om Namah Shivaya 108 times with a Rudraksha mala 5. Nishita Kaal (00:07–00:58): The most sacred window — perform ghee abhishek; recite the Shri Rudram (11 chapters from Krishna Yajurveda) or the Shiva Tandava Stotram; perform 108 Bilva leaf offerings if possible 6. 3rd Prahar (02:58): Honey abhishek; meditate on the Jyotirlinga form 7. 4th Prahar (02:58–05:53): Final abhishek with water mixed with bhasma (sacred ash); complete the vigil with pre-dawn prayers 8. At sunrise (approx. 07:07, Feb 5): break the fast with sattvic food — fruits and prasad from the temple 9. Continue wearing Rudraksha throughout the day; avoid sleep until the night is fully complete at sunrise

The Maha Shivratri fast (Vrata) has two levels:

Nirjala (complete) fast: No food or water from sunrise March 6 to sunrise March 7. Reserved for experienced practitioners and those under specific vows. The Shiva Purana grants the full merit of a year's Shiva worship for this fast.

Phalahar (fruit) fast: Only fruits, dairy, and water. This is the widely practiced option. Permitted: fruits of all kinds, milk, curd, sabudana preparations, rock salt (sendha namak), and nuts. Prohibited: grains, pulses, regular salt, and onion/garlic.

Both fasts end at sunrise on March 7 after the 4th Prahar puja and ritual bath. The fast is broken with the temple prasad (typically panchamrit — the same mixture used for abhishek).

In Vedic astrology, Shiva is the presiding deity of Saturn (Shani). Maha Shivratri falls on the 14th dark fortnight — ruled by Saturn. The dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) is Saturn's phase; the 14th tithi (Chaturdashi) is Saturn's most potent day. This makes Maha Shivratri the supreme night for Saturn remediation.

Worshipping Shiva on Maha Shivratri is prescribed in the Skanda Purana specifically for those with difficult Saturn placements — Sade Sati (Saturn transiting natal Moon or its adjacent signs), Saturn in the 1st, 4th, 7th, or 10th house, and Saturn-Rahu or Saturn-Ketu conjunctions. The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra chanted during Nishita Kaal is the specific prescription for Saturn-related health and longevity concerns.

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The 12 Jyotirlingas are the most sacred Shiva temples in India — each marking where Shiva's infinite column of light manifested. Visiting any Jyotirlinga on Maha Shivratri is considered equivalent to visiting all 12 in terms of merit:

1. Somnath (Gujarat) — the first, restored after Mahmud of Ghazni's destruction 2. Mallikarjuna (Andhra Pradesh, Srisailam) 3. Mahakaleshwar (Madhya Pradesh, Ujjain) — the only south-facing Shiva Linga 4. Omkareshwar (Madhya Pradesh) 5. Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) — accessible only May–November; pilgrims observe Maha Shivratri virtually when the shrine is closed 6. Bhimashankar (Maharashtra) 7. Vishwanath (Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi) — the most visited Jyotirlinga overall 8. Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra, near Nashik) 9. Vaidyanath (Jharkhand, Deoghar) 10. Nageshwar (Gujarat) 11. Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu) — where Rama installed the Linga before crossing to Lanka 12. Grishneshwar (Maharashtra, near Ellora)

Maha Shivratri is a gazetted public holiday in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. It is a restricted (optional) holiday in most other states and central government offices. Schools in Shiva-tradition-dominant states are closed. Varanasi (home of the Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga) observes the day with city-wide celebrations — the night-long procession at Kashi Vishwanath sees hundreds of thousands of devotees.