Maha Shivratri 2027: four prahar puja times and Nishita kaal

When is Maha Shivratri in 2027? Maha Shivratri falls on Saturday 6 March 2027, and the main worship is through that night. In New Delhi the Nishita kaal puja is 12:08 AM to 12:56 AM (the night of 6 to 7 March). Those who keep the night vigil divide it into four prahars, the first starting at 6:24 PM.

Maha Shivratri 2027 puja times (New Delhi)

Puja	Time (IST)
First prahar	6:24 PM to 9:28 PM, 6 March
Second prahar	9:29 PM to 12:32 AM (night of 6 to 7 March)
Third prahar	12:33 AM to 3:36 AM, 7 March
Fourth prahar	3:37 AM to 6:40 AM, 7 March
Nishita kaal	12:08 AM to 12:56 AM, 7 March
Parana (breaking the fast)	6:41 AM to 1:46 PM, 7 March

Chaturdashi, the 14th day of the waning Moon, begins at 12:04 PM on 6 March and ends at 1:47 PM on 7 March.

Why the night, and what Nishita kaal means

Maha Shivratri is the Chaturdashi of the dark half of Phalguna (in the North Indian reckoning; Magha in the South Indian one, which is the same night). The rule Drik Panchang uses is that it is kept on the night when Chaturdashi is running at Nishita kaal, the time around Hindu midnight.

Nishita kaal is the eighth of the fifteen muhurtas of the night, counting from sunset to the next sunrise. It is not 12 midnight on the clock, which is why it begins at 12:08 AM in New Delhi this year. Many devotees treat this as the most important puja of the night.

The four prahars

A prahar is a quarter of the night. The night from sunset on 6 March to sunrise on 7 March is split into four equal parts, and a separate puja, often an abhishek of the Shivalinga, is offered in each one. Families who keep the full vigil (jagaran) stay awake through all four. Others choose one, often the Nishita puja or the first prahar.

What is offered in each prahar varies by tradition. A common practice is to bathe the Shivalinga in water, milk, curd, ghee and honey, and to offer bel (bilva) leaves. Your temple or priest may follow a set order.

Fasting and parana

Many people fast through Shivratri. Practices range from a full fast to fruit and milk only. Drik Panchang gives the parana, the time to break the fast, as the next morning: from sunrise until Chaturdashi ends. In New Delhi that is 6:41 AM to 1:46 PM on 7 March.

Fasting is a personal choice. Anyone who is unwell, pregnant, elderly or on medication should keep a lighter observance and speak to their doctor first; a sincere puja does not depend on a strict fast.

Rudrabhishek on Shivratri

Rudrabhishek is a puja in which the Shivalinga is bathed while the Rudram (Sri Rudram) is chanted. Many families book one for Shivratri night. If you would like a pandit to perform it, see our Rudrabhishek puja page.

How these times were worked out

Every date and time in this article was computed by Proper Pandit's own panchang engine for New Delhi (28.61°N, 77.21°E, Indian Standard Time). We then checked each one against Drik Panchang's page for New Delhi on 31 October 2026. Where the two differ, it is by a minute or two, which comes from rounding and small differences in how sunrise and the Moon are calculated. We round the start of a window up and the end down, so a window shown here never runs past the one you would get from a more exact calculation.

Your own city will differ. Sunrise and sunset move with latitude and longitude, so look up your city on our panchang page, and if your family priest or temple follows a different timing, follow them.

Questions people ask

What is the Nishita kaal time on Maha Shivratri 2027? In New Delhi, 12:08 AM to 12:56 AM in the night of 6 to 7 March 2027.

When does the first prahar puja start? At sunset: 6:24 PM on 6 March in New Delhi.

Do I have to stay awake all night? No. The full vigil is a tradition many people keep, but a single puja done with devotion is common and fine.

When can I break the Shivratri fast? In New Delhi, between 6:41 AM and 1:46 PM on 7 March, according to the rule Drik Panchang follows. Follow your family's custom if it differs.