Maha Shivaratri
மகா சிவராத்திரி
6 Mar 2027
மாசி 22 6 MarShiva temples across Tamil Nadu
The great night of Shiva in Maasi: Shiva temples across Tamil Nadu stay open all night for four rounds of worship.
Night of Mar 6 into the morning of Mar 7.
Maha Shivaratri falls on the fourteenth night of the waning moon in the month of Maasi (February or March). Devotees fast through the day and stay awake through the night, and Shiva temples hold four kala poojas, one in each quarter of the night, with abhishekam of the lingam with milk, curd, honey, sandal paste and water.
In Tamil Nadu the festival draws large crowds to the great Shiva temples: the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, the Nataraja Temple in Chidambaram, the Ekambareswarar Temple in Kanchipuram, the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, the Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram, the Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Chennai and the Nellaiappar Temple in Tirunelveli. Several of these hold music and dance programmes in their courtyards through the night, and the Natyanjali dance festival in Chidambaram begins on this day.
For a visitor, the night offers lit gopurams, long but orderly queues, chanting of Om Namah Shivaya and the chance to see temples at an hour when they are normally closed.
Good to know
- Dress modestly: shoulders and knees covered; a dhoti or veshti for men and a saree, salwar or long skirt for women is common.
- Remove footwear before entering the temple (use the token counters near the gopuram) and keep leather items outside.
- Photography is not allowed inside the sanctums; follow the signage and the temple staff.
- Non-Hindus may not be admitted beyond the flagstaff or into the sanctums of some temples.
- Queues are longest around midnight; the early evening and pre-dawn rounds are calmer. Carry water and a shawl for the night.
