Maha Shivratri

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.

Varanasi's Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines, draws especially large crowds of devotees on this night. Other major Shiva temples across the country hold their own significant observances.

Maha Shivratri falls on the 14th night of the dark lunar fortnight, in the Hindu month of Phalguna (or Magha in some regional calendars), typically placing it in February or March on the Gregorian calendar. The exact date shifts each year. (confirmed on enquiry)