Maha Shivaratri 2023: date and significance

Maha Shivaratri, the 'Great Night of Shiva,' falls on the Krishna Chaturdashi of the lunar month Magha and is kept as a night-long vigil rather than a daytime celebration. Tradition holds this as the night Shiva performed the cosmic dance of creation, preservation, and destruction, and also the night of his marriage to Parvati. Devotees fast through the day, keep watch through the night in four ritual segments, and offer bael leaves, milk, and water to the Shiva lingam. Because the observance is tied to a specific tithi at a specific midnight hour rather than a whole day, the exact calendar date can differ by a day between cities with different sunrise times.