The Great Night of Shiva
An annual Hindu festival dedicated to overcoming darkness and ignorance. It is a night of introspection, fasting, and an all-night vigil to honor Lord Shiva.
1
Great Night
The most spiritually potent night of the year, harnessing a natural upsurge of energy.
12
Monthly Shivratris
While each month has a Shivratri, this "Maha" night is the most significant of all.
14th
Day of Waning Moon
Observed on the darkest night of the lunar month, symbolizing the conquest of inner darkness.
The festival's significance is rooted in four major Puranic stories, each revealing a different aspect of Shiva's divine nature.
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Commemorates the celestial wedding of Shiva and Parvati, symbolizing the union of consciousness and energy that creates the universe.
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The night Shiva performs the Tandava, a dance governing the universal cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction.
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Honors Shiva drinking the Halahala poison during the churning of the ocean to save all of creation, earning him the name Neelkanth.
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The night Shiva manifested as an endless pillar of light (Jyotirlinga), proving his nature as the supreme, formless reality.
Worship on Maha Shivratri involves specific offerings, each with a deep symbolic meaning representing the purification of the soul and the surrender of the ego.
This chart visualizes the key components of the Puja (worship). Each segment represents a sacred offering made to the Shiva Lingam, symbolizing a step on the devotee's spiritual journey.
The night-long vigil (*jagran*) is divided into four 3-hour periods called Prahars. This timeline shows the progression of worship, which intensifies as the night deepens, moving the devotee from external focus to deep inner realization.
From ancient temples in India to community centers worldwide, the festival is a major spiritual event.
Beyond rituals, the festival is a profound opportunity for inner transformation.