Vaishakha Masik Shivratri 2026 — Wednesday, 15 April 2026

How Masik Shivratri is kept

Every lunar month has a Shivratri: the fourteenth tithi (Chaturdashi) of the waning fortnight, the darkest night before Amavasya. Eleven of them are Masik (monthly) Shivratris; the one in Phalguna (Magha in the amanta reckoning) is Maha Shivratri, the great night of the year, which has its own page. The Shravana Shivratri, in the monsoon month sacred to Shiva, is kept with special devotion in the north, when Kanwar pilgrims bring Ganga water to pour on the linga.

• The fast runs through the day of Chaturdashi. Many take fruit and milk; some keep a stricter fast. Grains are usually avoided until the next morning.
• Shiva is bathed (abhishek) with water, milk, curd, honey or Ganga water, and offered bael leaves, dhatura, white flowers and sandal paste.
• The main worship is at night, in the nishita kaal, the midnight muhurta shown in the list, with the mantra Om Namah Shivaya or the Shiva Chalisa.
• Some stay awake through the night in four prahar pujas; others keep only the nishita puja and sleep afterwards.
• The fast is broken the next morning after sunrise, with a simple meal.
• Anyone who is pregnant, elderly, diabetic or unwell can keep a lighter fast or only the evening worship. Ask a doctor before fasting if you have a health condition.

Masik Shivratri: the full guide and every date

Questions people ask