Festivals, 6 Mar 2027
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Shiva, when devotees fast, keep vigil and wear three lines of sacred ash across the forehead.
Maha Shivaratri, "the great night of Shiva", falls in late winter on the fourteenth night of the dark half of the lunar month. Devotees fast, keep watch through the night, and offer milk, water and bilva leaves to the lingam at temples such as Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi. Many wear the tripundra, three horizontal lines of vibhuti, holy ash, across the forehead, often with a red dot in the centre; ascetics may cover the body with ash. The mark is a sign of devotion to Shiva in the Shaiva tradition, worn daily by some and on festival days by many more.
