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Masik Shivaratri

Lord Shiva

Next
Sat, 13 Jun 2026
in 7 days
Fasting
Masik Shivaratri 2026 falls on Saturday, 13 June 2026. It is the monthly Shivaratri, kept on the Chaturdashi (fourteenth tithi) of the dark fortnight each lunar month — devotees of Lord Shiva fast through the day and worship through the night, with the main puja at the midnight Nishita Kaal. It occurs roughly once a month, while Maha Shivaratri is the single great Shivaratri of the year in Phalguna.

Dates in 2026

A monthly observance — here are its dates through this year.

Jan 16
Fri
Feb 15
Sun
Mar 17
Tue
Apr 15
Wed
May 15
Fri
Jun 13
Sat
Jul 12
Sun
Aug 11
Tue
Sep 9
Wed
Oct 8
Thu
Nov 7
Sat
Dec 7
Mon

Calculated for India (IST) using precise Panchang astronomy. Dates can shift by a day at locations far to the east or west.

Significance & story

Masik Shivaratri means the "monthly night of Shiva" (masik = monthly). It is the same observance as the great annual Shivaratri, kept in a quieter form once every lunar month. Each lunar month has a Shivaratri on the fourteenth day of its waning fortnight (Krishna Chaturdashi); the one in the month of Phalguna is celebrated grandly as Maha Shivaratri, and the eleven others through the year are observed as Masik Shivaratri.

It is, by design, a recurring vrat rather than a one-time festival. People who keep it do so as a steady monthly discipline — a regular night set aside for Shiva, often taken up for a fixed number of months or as a lifelong practice. The mood is devotional and inward rather than festive: there is no public celebration, feasting, or large gathering attached to it, only the fast and the worship.

Astronomically it sits on the fourteenth tithi of the waning moon, the night before the new moon (Amavasya), when the moon is almost gone. As with Maha Shivaratri, the tradition treats this near-darkness as a fitting setting for night worship and inner attention. Because it follows the lunar calendar, each month's Masik Shivaratri falls on a different Gregorian date, moving with the tithi rather than the solar month.

Rituals & observance

How Masik Shivaratri is kept:

  • Observers keep a day-long fast (vrat), taken with varying strictness — some go without food and water, while others allow fruit, milk and non-grain foods through the day.
  • The Shiva linga is bathed in an abhishekam — water, milk, curd, honey and ghee poured over it — and offered bel (bilva) leaves, which are held especially dear to Shiva.
  • The main worship is done at night, with the principal puja at the midnight Nishita Kaal — the puja window for 2026 is {{muhurat.nishita}}.
  • Many keep a night vigil (jagran), staying awake to chant "Om Namah Shivaya" and recite or listen to Shiva stotras, keeping a lamp lit.
  • Some take up Masik Shivaratri as an ongoing vow, observing it every month for a set period or for life rather than as a single occasion.
  • The fast is broken the next morning, after the night's worship is complete.

Regional variations

Pradosh Vrat
Masik Shivaratri is one of two regular monthly fasts kept for Shiva. The other is Pradosh Vrat, observed on the thirteenth tithi (Trayodashi) of each fortnight and worshipped in the early-evening pradosh hour rather than at midnight. Devotees of Shiva often keep both.
South India
In Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka the monthly night vigil and temple worship for Shiva are kept seriously, and many Shaiva households observe Masik Shivaratri as a steady monthly discipline through the year, not only at the annual Maha Shivaratri.
How this date is determined

Observed on the Chaturdashi tithi, reckoned by midnight (nishita kala).

Dates are computed to astronomical precision (NASA/JPL ephemeris), in line with traditional panchang.

Frequently asked

What date is Masik Shivaratri in 2026?
The Masik Shivaratri shown here is on Saturday, 13 June 2026. Because it is a monthly observance, there is one in almost every lunar month — each falls on the Chaturdashi of the waning fortnight, so the dates are spread across the year.
What is the difference between Masik Shivaratri and Maha Shivaratri?
They are the same observance at two scales. Masik Shivaratri is the monthly Shivaratri, kept on the Krishna Chaturdashi of every lunar month. Maha Shivaratri is the single greatest of these — the one in the month of Phalguna (around February–March) — celebrated far more widely and elaborately. See Maha Shivaratri.
Why does the date of Masik Shivaratri change each month?
It follows the Hindu lunar calendar, falling on the fourteenth tithi (Chaturdashi) of the waning fortnight. Since lunar months do not line up with the Gregorian calendar, each month's Masik Shivaratri lands on a different date.
What time is the Masik Shivaratri puja?
The main worship is at the midnight Nishita Kaal — the puja window for 2026 is {{muhurat.nishita}}. Those who keep a full night vigil may also worship through the evening hours, so the observance can span from dusk to dawn.
What is offered to Shiva on Masik Shivaratri?
The classic offerings are an abhishekam (a bath of water, milk, curd, honey and ghee over the linga) and bel (bilva) leaves, which are considered especially dear to Shiva. Sacred ash (vibhuti) and, in many places, dhatura flowers are also offered.

Plan around it

Panchang Choghadiya muhurat Festival calendar Your Kundli