Maha Shivratri, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is considered one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals and is celebrated every year with great devotion and enthusiasm by Shiva devotees across the world. The night of worship and celebration is an opportunity to renew one's connection with the divine.
The festival falls on the fourteenth day of the dark (waning) half of the lunar month of Phalguna or Magha, a day before the new moon. This year, it is being observed on February 26, 2025. On this day, people observe a day-long fast and visit temples to worship Lord Shiva and seek his blessings. The festival helps people on spiritual journey attain salvation and get rid of their sins.
The day celebrates the pious union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is said that Parvati Mata performed intense penance to win over Lord Shiva. Another legend describes it as a night when Shiva performed the heavenly dance of creation, preservation and destruction. Many believe it to be the day when Lord Shiva drank the Halahala poison produced during Samudra Manthan to save the world from destruction. While the poison couldn't harm him, his neck turned blue, earning him the name - Neelkanth.
If you are in the USA, and wish to know about the puja timings for this year's Maha Shivratri as per your time zone, here are all the details.
Puja timings as per Panchang in India is: Wednesday, 26 February, 2025, 11:08 am – Thursday, 27 February, 2025, 8:54 am.
Here are Maha Shivratri puja timings for US time zones
