Hindu festivals · Mahashivratri

Maha Shivaratri 2027: date and nishita kaal puja time

Maha Shivaratri is the night of Krishna paksha Chaturdashi in the month of Phalguna (Magha in the amanta reckoning). It is one of the main nights of Shiva worship in the year.

Next date: Saturday, 6 Mar 2027

Maha Shivaratri timings

Detail	2027	2028
Date	Saturday, 6 Mar 2027	Wednesday, 23 Feb 2028
Krishna Chaturdashi tithi begins	6 Mar, 12:04 pm	23 Feb, 10:45 am
Krishna Chaturdashi tithi ends	7 Mar, 1:46 pm	24 Feb, 1:27 pm
Nishita kaal (midnight puja)	12:00 am (7 Mar) to 12:49 am (7 Mar)	12:02 am (24 Feb) to 12:51 am (24 Feb)

All times are IST. Tithi times hold for all of India; sunrise, sunset, moonrise and the muhurat windows are for Nagpur, in the North and Central Indian (purnimanta) tradition, and shift by a few minutes in other cities.

How it is commonly observed

Many people fast through the day and keep awake at night, with prayers in four parts (prahars) of the night.
Water, milk and bel leaves are offered to the Shivling at home or in a temple.
The midnight period, nishita kaal, is traditionally the main time of the puja.
The fast is commonly broken the next morning.

Where regions differ

The date is the same across most of India because the rule looks at midnight. Amanta calendars (Maharashtra, Gujarat, the South) call the month Magha; purnimanta calendars in the North call it Phalguna. It is the same night.

All the regional calendars on this site that list it give the same date in 2027.

How the date is worked out

The rule: the night when the tithi runs during nishita kaal, the eighth of the fifteen muhurtas of the night. When two days qualify, the one where the tithi covers more of that window; when none does, the day the tithi begins. The Sun and Moon positions are computed for each year (sidereal, Lahiri ayanamsa), so the dates are not copied from a printed list.

Questions about Maha Shivaratri

When is Maha Shivaratri in 2027?

Maha Shivaratri 2027 is on Saturday, 6 Mar 2027, and in 2028 on Wednesday, 23 Feb 2028. The dates are worked out for Nagpur in the North and Central Indian tradition; the table above gives the tithi and muhurat times.

What is nishita kaal?

The eighth of the fifteen muhurtas of the night, around Hindu midnight. Maha Shivaratri is kept on the night when Chaturdashi runs during nishita kaal.

Is a strict fast necessary?

No. Families keep the day in different ways: a full fast, phalahar, or simply a lighter meal. Anyone with a health condition, and anyone pregnant or elderly, should check with a doctor first.

Why does another calendar show a different date?

A tithi begins and ends at the same moment all over India, but the festival day depends on the part of the day the tradition looks at (sunrise, midday, evening or midnight) and on the sunrise of the city. A panchang for another city or tradition can therefore differ by a day. Follow the one your family uses.