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Maha Shivratri, or ‘Great Night of Shiva’, is a festival of great magnitude that is celebrated in honour of the Lord Shiva. The festival is celebrated throughout India on the Chaturdashi Tithi of the fortnight or month of Magh and Phalgun. According to the South Indian calendar, the festival falls in the month of Magh and according to the North Indian calendar, the festival falls in the month of Phalgun.
This year, Maha Shivratri will be celebrated on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. The rituals have a very specific time frame. The Chaturdashi Tithi for Maha Shivratri will begin at 11:08 AM on February 26 and end at 08:54 AM on February 27. Meanwhile, the Nishita Kaal puja time is from 12:27 AM to 01:16 AM on February 27.
A lot of people are confused between Shivratri and Maha Shivratri. We now lean towards explaining the difference between both festivals and why one is more significant than the other.
What is Shivratri?
This is also referred to as Masik Shivratri which is celebrated on the Chaturdashi of Krishna Paksha or the ‘dark fortnight’ There are twelve Shivratris every year and its significance is immeasurable for ardent followers of Shiva. During Shivratri, devotees observe fasting, praying and meditating to Lord Shiva.
What is Maha Shivratri?
Unlike Shivratri, which is celebrated once every month, Maha Shivratri is only celebrated once in a year.
It normally happens in February Maundy March. Maha Shivratri has many different interpretations. Some of them believe that on the night of Maha Shivratri, Lord Shiva performs the dance of his creation, which is a depiction of the Shristi, Sthiti, and Laya. Others think of this as an epic night of the merging of Shiva and Shakti, Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati.
Maha Shivratri is also considered to be a night when the northern hemisphere of the planet is positioned in such a way that there is an urge to unleash tremendous potential.
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