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Mahashivratri 2025 – Rituals, Timings and Insights

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This year Shivratri falls on Wednesday 26th February, 2025.

“Mahashivratri is the day of Shiva. Wherever there is beauty, truth, and benevolence, there is Shiva. And, there is no place where the Shiva principle is absent. But, Shiva is not a person. It is that principle which is the summum bonum of the whole creation and pervades the entire universe.

This principle, called the Shiva Tattva, is the quintessence of life and is present deep within every living being. On Mahashivratri, we celebrate the Shiva Tattva by going deep within us, meditating, and rejoicing in the Shiva energy. There are certain days and time frames in a year when one’s mental health and spiritual faculties are enhanced and Mahashivratri is one such precious day.” – Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Shivratri - The Best Remedy for Rahu and Saturn

Saturn and Rahu are Vayu tattva (Air element) planets and they cause disorder, chaos and restlessness when afflicted. The Nakshatra component of the daily panchang also represents Vayu tattva and that is why the moon’s transit through the 27 nakshatras have a direct impact on our state of mind and emotions.

Saturn and Rahu have the power to bring unrest to our prana or life force energy and that is why pranayama or breathwork techniques such as Sudarshan Kriya are very effective to combat them.

Lord Shiva – the deity of the universal life force, has complete control of Vayu tattva and vata dosha, the Ayurvedic mind-body element associated with air and space, and HE has the power to harmonize the malefic effects of Saturn and Rahu.

Shivratri 2025

New Delhi, India

This year Shivratri falls on the Wednesday 26th of February, 2025.

The main Shiva Puja spans over four prahar’s (units of time) from sunset to sunrise and each prahar consists of a 3-hour period

Ratri First Prahar Puja Time – Feb 26, 06:19 PM to 09:26 PM

Ratri Second Prahar Puja Time – Feb 26, 09:26 PM to 12:34 AM, Feb 27
Ratri Third Prahar Puja Time – Feb 27, 12:34 AM to 03:41 AM, Feb 27
Ratri Fourth Prahar Puja Time – Feb 27, 03:41 AM to 06:48 AM, Feb 27

For local timings check the ~align27 app~.

Your Local Timings

Write your personalized Shiva mantra on your sacred notebook dedicated to mantra writing 108 times or more on the day of Maha Shivratri. It is one of the most powerful and best remedies for you!

My Personalized Mantra

Significance of Fasting during Mahashivratri

The Sun was in Aquarius when Lord Shiva drank the poison that came from the churning of the ocean and this is why people fast the entire day and night of Shivratri.

This is the most spiritual fast you can ever observe and is the ultimate purification ritual. It is the time when Lord Shiva ensures the soul is being relieved from its karmic burden and it is said he will drink the ‘poison’ we have accumulated from many many lifetimes if we fast on this day.

When Lord Shiva drank the poison, Goddess Parvati prayed for his protection and on this day Rishi Atri answered Her prayers by placing the Moon on Lord Shiva to cool him down.

Fasting during the day is good for people who are married, prosperity, wealth and anything material. Fasting whilst awake at night is good for purification and relief from karmic debts.

It is also believed that any mantra chanting we do during the times we are awake during Shivratri is extremely effective.

Easy Mahashivratri Rituals

For personalized rituals download the align27 app.

  1. Keep a sankalpa (intention) to perform rituals on this day and seek the divine grace to allow you to complete it successfully without any obstruction.
  2. Chant Aum Namah Shivaya 1008 times or more. Today’s mantra chanting is extremely powerful than any other day.
  3. Keep a fast, do as much as you can. You can keep a full or partial fast based on your health and capability.
  4. Listen to ~Sri Rudram~ or participate in Rudrabhishekam or Rudra Homa if possible. You can also listen to Sri Rudram on the Sattva Meditations & Mantras app.
  5. Chant or listen to the Shiva Panchakshari (5 times).
  6. Light a lamp with Mahua oil or ghee.
  7. If you have a Shivlingam at home you can perform abhishekam with water, milk, yoghurt, chandan, rose water, rice powder, holy ash, turmeric water, coconut water etc. Steps on how to do this can be found here.
  8. Meditation is the most important ritual of the day as there is a natural upsurge of energy and meditation helps you make the best use of it. You can do the ~Shiva~ Guided Meditation by ~Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar~ available on the ~Sattva~ App!
  9. If you have access to Bilwa leaves offer them to Lord Shiva
  10. Immerse yourself in the Shiva energy by listening to songs of Lord Shiva especially the ones written by Adi Shankaracharya and let the energy in the universe guide you.
  11. At the end of your vrat (fast) always remember to donate money to people who genuinely need it.
  12. Be grateful and thank the divine for letting you perform these rituals.

Advanced Shiva Puja Mahashivratri Rituals

The main Shiva Puja spans over four prahar’s (units of time) from sunset to sunrise and each prahar consists of a 3-hour period. As per the Shivmahapuran you can do the following rituals during each prahar of the night.

First Prahar (check align27 app for local timings)

  1. Light a lamp
  2. Chant Aum Namah Shivaya 108 or 1080 times (or however many you can).
  3. Perform Rudrabhishekam
  4. Offerings: Panchamrut, Sandalwood paste, Unbroken rice, black gingerly seeds, bilwa leaves
  5. You can offer lotus flowers by chanting Lord Shiva’s 8 names (see below)
  6. Offer incense sticks or dhoop
  7. Offer camphor aarti
  8. Food offering – Cooked rice, half a coconut and betel)

Second Prahar (check align27 app for local timings)

  1. Light a lamp
  2. Chant Aum Namah Shivaya (twice the number of times from the first prahar, so if you did it 108 times during the 1st prahar, then you do it 216 times during this prahar)
  3. Perform Rudrabhishekam
  4. Offerings: Gingerly seeds, barley, lotus flowers and bilwa leaves, citron fruits
  5. You can offer lotus flowers by chanting Lord Shiva’s 8 names (see below)
  6. Offer incense sticks or dhoop
  7. Offer camphor aarti
  8. Food offering – Payasam if possible (an Indian pudding made with vermicelli, sugar, ghee, milk, nuts and raisins)

Third Prahar (check align27 app for local timings)

  1. Light a lamp
  2. Chant Aum Namah Shivaya (thrice the number of times from the first prahar, so if you did it 108 times during the 1st prahar, then you do it 324 times during this prahar)
  3. Perform Rudrabhishekam
  4. Offerings – Wheat, Sun flowers and bilwa leaves, Pomegranate
  5. Offer incense sticks or dhoop
  6. Offer camphor aarti
  7. Food offering – fried foods and various cooked vegetables

Fourth Prahar (check align27 app for local timings)

  1. Light a lamp
  2. Chant Aum Namah Shivaya (four the number of times from the first prahar, so if you did it 108 times during the 1st prahar, then you do it 432 times during this prahar)
  3. Perform Rudrabhishekam
  4. Offerings – black gram, green gram, priyangu grains, or any of the 7 cereals, flowers of sankapushpi, and bilva
  5. Offer incense sticks or dhoop
  6. Offer camphor aarti
  7. Food offering – Sweet dishes or cooked rice with black gram or other fried food items.

8 Names of Lord Shiva

  1. Aum Ishanaya Namah
  2. Aum Mahadevaya Namah
  3. Aum Rudraya Namah
  4. Aum Sharvaya Namah
  5. Aum Bhiimaya Namah
  6. Aum Bhavaya Namah
  7. Aum Ugraaya Namah
  8. Aum Pashupataye Namah

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