Maha Shivaratri 2027 — the night of Shiva.
Mahashivratri, Shivratri, the great night — the one night of the year given wholly to Mahadev. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, 6 March, the Chaturdashi of Phalguna's dark fortnight, and it is kept on the same night in India and in Nepal. Devotees fast through the day, stay awake through the four quarters of the night, pour milk and water over the lingam, and chant. It is also — with the Shravan Somvars — the night most often chosen to put on a first Rudraksha, or rudraksh as it is written across much of North India. This page gives the date, the shape of the night, and which bead the tradition actually points to. We are a workshop in Kathmandu, a short walk from Pashupatinath.
Saturday, 6 March 2027 — Chaturdashi, Krishna Paksha, Phalguna. The vigil runs through the night; the last watch closes and the fast is broken on the morning of Sunday, 7 March.
- First prahar — From sunset, the first abhishek
- Second prahar — Late evening, into nishita kaal
- Third prahar — Past local midnight
- Fourth prahar — The last watch, closing before dawn
Clock times differ by city. Check a panchang for yours — we will not print one set and pretend it fits everyone.
Why this night, and what the texts say
The tradition does not speak with one voice about what happened on this night, and we are not going to pretend it does. Some hold it the night Shiva married Parvati. Some hold it the night of the tandava. Some keep it as Lingodbhava, Shiva's manifestation as the pillar of light without beginning or end. The Shiva Purana spends less energy on which story is right than on the observance itself — the fast, the vigil, the abhishek, the mantra — and that is a fair guide to how the night is actually kept.
Rudraksha belongs to the night because tradition holds the beads arose from Shiva's own tears. That is the whole of the connection, and it is enough. What we will not tell you is that a bead bought this month will change your fortunes, cure anything, or work faster because of the date. Those are claims for someone else's website. The meaning of the night is devotion, and devotion is not a transaction.
Which bead, for Shivaratri
Tradition points first to the One Mukhi, which is held to be Shiva himself. Be warned that a genuine round One Mukhi from Nepal is the rarest thing in the whole tradition and priced as such; the Savar One Mukhi is the attainable form, and we label it as exactly what it is rather than selling it as the round.
What the great majority of devotees actually wear is the Five Mukhi — Kalagni Rudra, the commonest bead, the traditional starting point for daily wear and for japa. Where the night is kept as the union of Shiva and Parvati, the naturally joined Gauri Shankar is the traditional choice. For the night's recitation itself, a 108-bead Japa Mala is what the counting asks for. And if none of that settles it, that is what we are here for — take the guided choice, check your Moon sign, or simply message us and describe your practice.
Pashupatinath, on the night
If you have never seen it: several hundred thousand people pass through Pashupatinath across this one night, one of the largest observances anywhere. Sadhus who have walked from Haridwar and Varanasi camp along the Bagmati in the days beforehand. The queue for darshan forms long before dawn and does not really end. Kathmandu barely sleeps, and the smoke and the bells carry a good distance across the valley.
We work in the same city, which is the only reason we can offer what we do: Pran Pratishtha at Pashupatinath before your bead is dispatched, with photographs or video of your own mala at the ritual. It is a service, not a guarantee of anything, and it is entirely optional — plenty of our customers do their own simple purification at home and are right to.
Ordering in time for 6 March
Our stated window is 3–12 days by tracked courier from Kathmandu, to 60+ countries. Working back from a Saturday night in early March, that means ordering two to three weeks ahead — earlier for remote regions, and earlier again if you want energization completed first. Prices show in ₹ with the currency selector for buyers in India, from about ₹1,245 (US $15) for the Five Mukhi at the selector rate, and the exact figure is confirmed in writing before you pay anything. Payment is agreed per order on WhatsApp after you have approved photographs and video of the exact bead; there is no cash on delivery to India. If you would like the bead X-rayed by an independent lab first, that is an optional paid add-on and we will quote it with the rest.
Message us with your country and we will confirm a realistic delivery window before you commit to anything. If it is too tight to make the date, we will say so rather than take the order and hope — and there is always the next Shravan, or any Monday, to begin on.
Frequently asked
When is Maha Shivaratri in 2027?
Saturday, 6 March 2027 — the Chaturdashi of the dark fortnight of Phalguna. It is kept on the same night in India and in Nepal, and because the observance is a night vigil, the last watch closes and the fast is broken on the morning of Sunday, 7 March.
What time is the puja — when is nishita kaal?
Nishita kaal, the midnight window held most auspicious for Shiva puja, and the four prahar timings that divide the night both shift with your longitude and latitude: a devotee in Chennai and one in Toronto do not share a clock. We will not print one set of times and pretend it fits everyone — check a panchang for your own city. What does not change is the shape of the night: the fast through the day, the vigil after dark, the abhishek, the mantra.
Which Rudraksha is traditionally worn on Maha Shivaratri?
The night belongs to Shiva, and tradition points first to the One Mukhi, held to be Shiva himself. The Five Mukhi — Kalagni Rudra, the commonest bead and the usual starting point for daily wear and japa — is what the great majority actually wear. Where the night is kept as the union of Shiva and Parvati, the naturally joined Gauri Shankar is the traditional choice. These are the associations the tradition hands down, and we pass them on as tradition rather than as a promise.
Can I begin wearing a new Rudraksha on this night?
By tradition, yes — alongside the Shravan Somvars it is the night most often chosen to wear Rudraksha for the first time. The customary beginning is plain: a rinse in clean water or milk, a moment at your own shrine, and Om Namah Shivaya. Nothing elaborate is required, and nobody needs to buy anything from us to do it properly.
When should I order to receive a bead before 6 March 2027?
Our window is 3–12 days by tracked courier from Kathmandu, so allow two to three weeks before the night — longer for remote regions, or if you want energization at Pashupatinath completed before dispatch. Message us on WhatsApp and we will confirm the realistic window for your country before you pay. We would rather tell you the timing is tight than take the order and hope.
What is the night like at Pashupatinath?
Pashupatinath in Kathmandu holds one of the largest observances anywhere: several hundred thousand pilgrims across the night, sadhus who have walked from across India camped along the Bagmati, and queues for darshan that form long before dawn. Our workshop is in the same city, and beads can be taken there for energization before dispatch if you ask.
Do I have to fast in order to wear Rudraksha?
No. The vrat is its own observance, kept by those who choose it, and a bead worn without fasting is not worn wrongly. If you do fast, treat it as devotion rather than endurance and use your own judgement about your health — we make prayer beads, and we are not the right people to advise anyone on going without food or water.
Shivaratri or Shravan — which is the better time to begin?
Both are held auspicious and neither is a deadline. Maha Shivaratri is a single night in Phalguna; Shravan is a whole month, with four or five Mondays that serve the same purpose. If the next Shivaratri is months away and you feel ready now, tradition does not ask you to wait — any Monday, or a Pradosh, has long been considered a fitting day to begin.
Begin on the night of Shiva.
Tell us your country and your practice — we'll confirm honestly what can reach you before 6 March.
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