HijriHub

Hindu Festival · 2026 · All Years Guide

Maha Shivaratri 2026

The Great Night of Shiva, observed with all-night vigil.

Gregorian dateFebruary 15, 2026
Day of weekSunday
PanchangPhalguna Krishna Chaturdashi
ReligionHinduism

In 2026, Maha Shivaratri falls on Sunday, February 15, 2026. Regional panchang authorities — including the Vakya, Drik, and Surya Siddhanta traditions — may calculate the precise tithi differently, with some communities observing the festival one day earlier or later than the date shown.

Significance of Maha Shivaratri

Maha Shivaratri — literally the Great Night of Shiva — is the most important annual festival devoted to Lord Shiva, the Auspicious One who within the Hindu Trimurti embodies the principle of cosmic transformation. The festival falls on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Phalguna (typically February or March). According to Shaivite tradition, this is the night Shiva performed the Tandava — the cosmic dance of creation, preservation, and destruction — and the night Shiva and Parvati were married. Another tradition holds that on this night Shiva drank the halahala poison that emerged from the cosmic ocean during the Samudra Manthan churning, his throat turning blue and earning him the name Neelakantha. Unlike most Hindu festivals which are celebrated during the day, Shivaratri is observed entirely at night and into the following dawn.

Traditions and Observances

Devotees observe a strict daylong fast — many take only fruit, milk, or water — and stay awake throughout the entire night in worship called the Shivaratri Jagran. Temple lingams are bathed continuously through the night with the panchamrit of milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, and sugar followed by water, with each rinse called an abhishekam. Bilva (bel) leaves, which are particularly dear to Shiva, are offered alongside flowers, dhatura, and rudraksha beads. Devotees chant the panchakshari mantra "Om Namah Shivaya" continuously and recite the Shiva Tandava Stotram and Rudram. The night is divided into four praharas — three-hour watches — with elaborate puja ceremonies performed at each transition.

Maha Shivaratri 2026 — At a Glance

If you are planning travel, scheduling community events, requesting time off work, or simply marking your family calendar for 2026, the table below summarises every key detail for Maha Shivaratri this year, alongside the surrounding observances on either side of the festival in the Hindu lunar calendar.

Detail2026
Gregorian dateFebruary 15, 2026
Day of weekSunday
Panchang referencePhalguna Krishna Chaturdashi
TraditionHinduism (regional variations across panchang traditions)

Regional Observance

The twelve Jyotirlingas — the most sacred Shaivite shrines including Somnath, Mahakaleshwar, Kashi Vishwanath, Kedarnath, Bhimashankar, and Rameshwaram — receive over a million pilgrims each on Shivaratri night. Nepal's Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu hosts a hundred thousand sadhus and devotees overnight, with vendors selling cannabis-infused bhang and ascetic Naga Sadhus performing tapasya rituals along the Bagmati River. Mandi in Himachal Pradesh hosts a week-long Shivaratri Mahotsav with two hundred local deities arriving by palanquin from across the Mandi district. Andhra Pradesh's Srisailam Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga and Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai Annamalaiyar Temple observe nightlong rituals attended by hundreds of thousands of devotees from across South India.

Maha Shivaratri Across the Years 2024–2030

The Islamic Hijri calendar is a purely lunar calendar of approximately 354 days, so its observances drift forward by roughly 10–11 days each Gregorian year. The Hindu lunar calendar uses periodic intercalary months (adhik maas) that keep festivals broadly anchored to the seasons. The table below shows the Gregorian date of Maha Shivaratri across every year HijriHub covers, allowing you to plan multi-year commemorations, anniversaries, or research at a glance.

YearGregorian dateDay
2024March 8, 2024Friday
2025February 26, 2025Wednesday
2026February 15, 2026Sunday
2027March 6, 2027Saturday
2028February 23, 2028Wednesday
2029February 11, 2029Sunday
2030March 2, 2030Saturday

How HijriHub calculates Maha Shivaratri 2026

Our Hindu festival dates are compiled from the Drik Panchang almanac authority, cross-checked against regional panchang publications including the Mahesh Dharmik Panchang and the Indian government's National Calendar. For festivals tied to specific tithis, nakshatras, or yogas, the date listed corresponds to the day on which the festival is most widely observed in North India under the Drik tradition. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Karnataka follow the Vakya tradition that may shift the observance by a day. Bengal's Vishuddha Siddhanta and the lunisolar calendars of Maharashtra and Gujarat occasionally differ. Always confirm with your family priest or local temple before finalising ritual plans.

Other Years

Other Holidays in February 2026