Maha Shivratri is celebrated with huge fervour where devotees observe fast and worship lord Shiva, also referred as Mahadev. Different stories are popular across the country and in different parts of Nepal and West Indies related to Lord Shiva. 

The literal translation of Maha Shivratri is ‘the great night of Shiva’. According to one of the legends, on the night of Shiv Ratri, the great lord Shiva, The Destroyer within the Trimurti, performs his heavenly dance or ‘tandav’. 

Maha Shivratri 2024: Exact date in March and Puja timings

This year, Maha Shivratri will be celebrated on March 8, 2024. According to Drik panchang, Maha Shivratri will be celebrated on Chaturdashi Tithi beginning on the night of March 8 and will end on the evening of March 9. 

Chaturdashi Tithi will begin at 09:57 pm on March 08, 2024. Chaturdashi Thithi will end at 06:17 pm on Mar 09, 2024. The Nishita Kaal Puja Time will begin at 12:07 am  and end at 12:56 am on March 09.

Maha Shivratri 2024: History 

According to one of the mythological stories, Shiv Ratri is celebrated as the day when lord Shiva married to goddess Parvati. On this day, many people enact the marriage of lord Shiva and goddess Parvati.

In other words, Shivratri is supposed to be the night of convergence of Shiva and Shakti, which means the balance of the masculine and feminine energies. According to another fable, on this day Shiva consumed the poison that got churned out from the ocean during Samudra Manthan and protected the world from darkness and dismay.

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Published: 24 Feb 2024, 11:15 PM IST