Mahashivratri Puja Vidhi · महाशिवरात्रि पूजा विधि

How Mahashivratri is kept: the fast, abhishek of the Shivling, offerings of bilva, dhatura and bhang, the four prahar pujas through the night, and the next day's parana.

How the puja is done

When

Mahashivratri falls on Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi (Magha in the amanta calendar). The night is divided into four prahars, and the midnight period, nishita kaal, is held most auspicious; see the Mahashivratri page for the date.

Samagri

Milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar for panchamrit, and water or Ganga jal
Bilva (bel) leaves with three leaflets
Dhatura and aak flowers, bhang, fruits and sweets
Roli, akshat, chandan, dhoop and a ghee lamp

The fast

Rise before sunrise, bathe, and keep the fast through the day and night.

Abhishek and puja

At home or at a temple, bathe the Shivling with milk and with panchamrit, then with water.
Offer bilva leaves, dhatura, bhang, flowers, fruits and sweets, and light the ghee lamp.
Chant Om Namah Shivaya, and recite the Shiv Chalisa; close with the aarti Om Jai Shiv Omkara.

The four prahars and the vigil

Many repeat the puja in each of the four prahars of the night and stay awake (jagran) in Shiva's remembrance. If you cannot keep the whole night, do at least the puja of the first prahar.

Parana

Break the fast the next day.

These steps are written in our own words; each appears in at least two of the published sources linked below, and steps found in only one source are left out. Puja customs differ by family, region and tradition; your family priest or family custom comes first.

About this text

Mahashivratri, "the great night of Shiva", is the most important night of the year for Shiva's devotees, kept with a fast, abhishek of the Shivling and a vigil through the night. This page gives the observance as the published guides listed below describe it; we have not included mantras for each prahar that we have not compared across editions. Customs differ by region and community: follow your family's way where it differs.