Maha Shivaratri is the fourteenth night of the dark half of Maha. Gujarat has two of the twelve Jyotirlingas, Somnath on the coast and Nageshwar near Dwarka, and both are thronged. But the night belongs to Junagadh, where for five days the Bhavnath fair gathers at the foot of Mount Girnar. At midnight a procession of Naga sadhus on elephants, to conches and drums, goes to bathe in the Mrigi Kund.
The story
Legend says that Shiva himself comes to the fair, and that some of the ascetics who enter the Mrigi Kund are not seen to leave it. Girnar is older than the Himalaya, sacred to Shaivas, Jains and the followers of Dattatreya alike.
Somnath, "lord of the Moon", is where the Moon was freed of a curse. Sacked and rebuilt many times, the present temple was raised after independence at the urging of Sardar Patel.
જય ગિરનારી
Victory to the Lord of Girnar
The greeting of the Bhavnath fair
How it is kept
- UpvasA fast on farali food: sabudana, rajgira, potato, peanuts and fruit.
- AbhishekMilk, water and bilva leaves are poured on the linga, through the four watches of the night.
- BhangThandai with bhang is taken as Shiva's prasad.
- The RavadiAt Bhavnath, the midnight procession of the akharas.
- AnnakshetraFree kitchens feed everyone who comes to the fair.
Why this date
Maha Shivaratri is the Chaturdashi of the dark half of Maha by the Gujarati (amanta) calendar, on the day that tithi covers midnight.
Maha Shivaratri in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wednesday | |
| 2026 | Sunday | |
| 2027 | Saturday | |
| 2028 | Wednesday | |
| 2029 | Sunday | |
| 2030 | Saturday |
More Gujarati festivals
4 MarchHoli and Dhuletiહોળી · ધુળેટી
25 JanuaryRatha Saptamiરથ સપ્તમી
19 MarchChaitra Navratriચૈત્રી નવરાત્રી
14 JanuaryUttarayanઉત્તરાયણ
26 MarchRam Navamiરામ નવમી
2 AprilHanuman Jayantiહનુમાન જયંતી
Where to see Maha Shivaratri
In Gujarat
- Bhavnath, JunagadhGujaratThe fair at the foot of Girnar, with sadhus from all over India.
- SomnathGujaratThe first Jyotirlinga, on the shore at Prabhas Patan; the temple is open all night.
- NageshwarGujaratA Jyotirlinga on the road between Dwarka and Bet Dwarka.
Across India
- UjjainMadhya PradeshMahakaleshwar, with nine days of festival before the night.
- VaranasiUttar PradeshKashi Vishwanath and the wedding procession of Shiva.
- MandiHimachal PradeshA week-long fair of the hill gods.