Masik Shivaratri Vrat: vidhi, katha and rules
Lord Shiva · Krishna paksha Chaturdashi, every month
Masik Shivaratri comes every month on Krishna paksha Chaturdashi, a day before Amavasya. Traditionally, Lord Shiva is worshipped at night on this day. Many people keep it with a sankalp of 12 Masik Shivaratris.
🗓 Coming dates (Delhi)
- Monday, 7 December 2026
- Tuesday, 5 January 2027
- Thursday, 4 February 2027
- Monday, 5 April 2027
- Tuesday, 4 May 2027
- Thursday, 3 June 2027
- Friday, 2 July 2027
- Saturday, 31 July 2027
Next Shukla paksha begins around Tuesday, 10 November
How it is kept (vidhi)
- Bathe in the morning, take the sankalp before Shiva and fast through the day.
- In the evening, offer water, milk, bel leaves, dhatura and white flowers to the Shivling.
- At night, chant Om Namah Shivaya. Many people do a special puja at nishita kaal, around midnight.
- Listen to the Shivaratri katha and do the aarti.
- The next morning, do a short puja and open the fast.
Common practices
- Many people take fruit through the day, and some fast without water.
- Many people like to stay awake at night with bhajans, but it depends on your health.
- Turmeric and tulsi are traditionally not offered to the Shivling.
The katha
Long ago, a hunter named Chitrabhanu went into the forest to find food for his family. By evening he had found nothing, so he climbed a bel tree near a pond to wait through the night. He did not know there was a Shivling under the tree.
As he waited, he kept plucking bel leaves and dropping them. Drops of water from his water bag fell too. So all night, without knowing it, he was offering bel leaves and water to Shiva, and he had not eaten all day either.
During the night, deer came to the pond one by one. Each time he raised his bow, the deer asked to go home first to see their young ones, and gave their word to come back. He let them go. In the morning the deer returned as they had said, and the hunter's heart melted. He let them all go and gave up hunting.
A night of quiet, unplanned worship had changed his heart. Shiva's grace touched him, and his life took a new path. Many families remember this story on Shivaratri nights.
Retold in our own words from the traditional story.
Udyapan
When a sankalp of 12 Masik Shivaratris is complete, many families do the udyapan, often on Maha Shivaratri in Phalgun. A Rudrabhishek, a havan, and food and daan for a Brahmin or someone in need are common.
Questions
- How is Masik Shivaratri different from Maha Shivaratri?
- Masik Shivaratri comes every month on Krishna Chaturdashi. The one in the month of Phalgun is called Maha Shivaratri, the biggest Shivaratri of the year.
- What if I skip a Masik Shivaratri?
- Many families simply continue with the next one. Your earlier count stays. You can decide what feels right.
This information is awaiting review by a pandit. Traditions differ by family and region.