Maha Shivaratri falls on the fourteenth night of the waning Moon in the Malayalam month of Kumbham. Kerala's great gathering is at Aluva, where a Shiva linga stands on the open sandbank of the Periyar; people keep vigil there through the night and at dawn offer bali to their ancestors in the river. In Thiruvananthapuram district thousands run the Sivalaya Ottam between twelve temples.
The story
The linga at Aluva is said to have been set up by Parashurama and worshipped by Rama. It has no roof: the river covers it every monsoon, and the shrine is rebuilt on the sand each year.
Kerala counts 108 Shiva temples founded by Parashurama, with Vadakkunnathan at Thrissur first among them. On this night all of them stay open, with abhishekam through the four watches.
ഓം നമഃ ശിവായ
Om, salutations to Shiva
The five-syllable mantra, chanted through the night
How the night is kept
- VrathamA fast through the day and a vigil through the night.
- DharaWater, milk or tender coconut is poured in a continuous stream over the linga.
- KoovalamBilva leaves are the chief offering.
- Bali tharpanamAt Aluva the vigil ends with offerings to the ancestors in the river at dawn.
- Sivalaya OttamRunners in saffron cover twelve Shiva temples on foot, calling "Govinda, Gopala".
Why this date
Maha Shivaratri is the Chaturdasi of the waning fortnight of the lunar month of Magha, on the day that tithi covers midnight. It falls in Kumbham.
Maha Shivaratri in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday | |
| 2027 | Saturday | |
| 2028 | Wednesday | |
| 2029 | Sunday | |
| 2030 | Saturday | |
| 2031 | Thursday |
More Kerala festivals
13 FebruaryRatha Saptamiരഥസപ്തമി
15 AprilSri Rama Navamiശ്രീരാമനവമി
15 AprilVishuവിഷു
15 JanuaryMakaravilakkuമകരവിളക്ക്
20 December 2026Swargavathil Ekadasiസ്വർഗ്ഗവാതിൽ ഏകാദശി
17 AprilThrissur Pooramതൃശ്ശൂർ പൂരം
Where to see Maha Shivaratri
In Kerala
- Aluva ManappuramKeralaThe sandbank of the Periyar, where the night-long fair has been held for centuries.
- Vadakkunnathan Temple, ThrissurKeralaThe linga is hidden under a mound of ghee offered over hundreds of years.
- Ettumanoor Mahadeva TempleKeralaKnown for its murals and its great lamp, kept burning without a break.
- Vaikom Mahadeva TempleKeralaOne of the oldest Shiva temples of the state, by the Vembanad lake.
Across India
- GokarnaKarnatakaThe Mahabaleshwar temple on the coast to the north.
- ChidambaramTamil NaduA night of dance offered to Nataraja.
- VaranasiUttar PradeshKashi Vishwanath, and Shiva's wedding procession through the lanes.