When is Maha Shivratri this year?

Typically February or March, following the lunar calendar; confirm the exact date for your travel year. (confirmed on enquiry)

Is Maha Shivratri a public holiday?

In many Indian states, yes, though observance and closures vary by state.

Can visitors join the temple observances?

Generally yes, respectfully and modestly dressed; expect very long queues at major temples like Kashi Vishwanath on the night itself.

Festival

Last updated: 1 September 2026

Maha Shivratri

Maha Shivratri, the Great Night of Shiva, is marked with night-long vigils, fasting and temple worship, falling on the 14th night of the dark lunar fortnight in the Hindu months of Phalguna or Magha, which usually places it in February or March. Varanasi's Kashi Vishwanath Temple is among the most significant places to experience it.

By Experience My India Editorial Team

Destination specialists and licensed local guides

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Devotees observe a night-long vigil, often fasting through the day, with worship focused on Shiva lingams across the country's Shiva temples. It is a devotional rather than a public-spectacle festival — quieter and more solemn than Holi or Diwali, centred on temples rather than the street.

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Anjali Nair
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala · Couple · Verified trip
4/53 days ago
Really enjoyable day. The guide was knowledgeable and funny. It did run about forty minutes over, which mattered because we had a train to catch, but they got us there with minutes to spare.
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Subhalaxmi Mohanty
Bhubaneswar, Odisha · Solo · Verified trip
5/53 weeks ago
The homestay night was the memory we will keep — cooking with the family, the kids playing cricket in the lane. It was arranged with real thought, and the drive out there was beautiful.
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Tenzin Dolma
Gangtok, Sikkim · Family · Verified trip
4/51 month ago
Excellent guide and a well-paced day. My only note is that lunch was at a fairly touristy restaurant; food was fine but we would have preferred somewhere more local. Otherwise faultless.
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Dhruv Patel
Ahmedabad, Gujarat · Couple · Verified trip
3/52 months ago
Mixed feelings. The sites were spectacular and the driver excellent, but our guide's English was harder to follow than we expected and we missed some of the detail. The office apologised quickly when we mentioned it.
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Part of Festivals & Events

Maha Shivratri

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