What's the difference between Masik and Mahashivratri?

The Shivratri that falls in Magh/Falgun is the great annual Mahashivratri; the other eleven are the monthly Masik Shivratris — a more flexible, lighter vrat.

Which tithi does it fall on?

Krishna paksha Chaturdashi; the vrat is observed on the night when Chaturdashi tithi prevails at nishita kaal (midnight).

When are all the Masik Shivratri dates in 2026?

16 Jan, 15 Feb (= Mahashivratri), 17 Mar, 15 Apr, 15 May, 13 Jun, 12 Jul, 11 Aug, 9 Sep, 8 Oct, 7 Nov, 7 Dec — twelve dates.

How is the vrat observed?

Take a sankalp, fast through the day, then at night perform a Shiva abhishek with water, milk, and bilva leaves, chant 'Om Namah Shivaya', keep vigil, and break the fast the next morning.

Are Masik Shivratri and Pradosh the same thing?

No. Pradosh is the Shiva vrat on Trayodashi evening (pradosh kaal); Masik Shivratri is on Chaturdashi midnight (nishita kaal) — two distinct but linked observances.

What time should the puja be performed?

Mainly at night, during nishita kaal (midnight) — considered the most auspicious time for Shiva worship; check that day's panchang page for the exact time.

Masik Shivratri

Masik Shivratri is the Shiva vrat observed on Krishna paksha Chaturdashi every month — the night before Amavasya. Puja and the night vigil are held at nishita kaal (midnight). Twelve Masik Shivratris fall in a year; the one in Magh/Falgun is the annual Mahashivratri itself — the other eleven are the monthly Masik Shivratris, observed in a more flexible, lighter form.

Deity: Shiva (Mahadev)

This year's dates (2026)

Significance

Mahashivratri comes only once a year; Masik Shivratri offers a monthly opportunity for remembering Shiva, practising restraint, and turning inward — making it easier to observe as a regular monthly practice.

The night of Shivratri is held to be the night of Shiva and Shakti's union; keeping vigil and performing puja is believed to bring peace of mind and strengthen one's path of devotion.

Each Shivratri's vrat is decided not by the tithi at sunrise, but by which tithi prevails at midnight (nishita kaal). The day on which Chaturdashi is present at midnight is the vrat's night. This is why, in most months, Trayodashi still prevails at sunrise even though the vrat falls that same night.

The Skanda Purana is said to name both Mahashivratri and Masik Shivratri as powerful days for Shiva worship.

The legend

Masik Shivratri has no distinct legend of its own — it is considered part of Shiva's broader Shivratri legends. The Lingodbhava, Samudra Manthan-Neelkanth, Shiva-Parvati wedding, and Lubdhak-bilva legends are told in detail on the Mahashivratri page — the same legends apply to Masik Shivratri too, so they are not repeated here.

Who observes it

All Shiva devotees — regardless of gender, age, or marital status — may observe this vrat. Unmarried women are believed to observe it for a desired life partner, married women for marital peace and harmony, while any devotee may observe it for spiritual growth and the removal of obstacles.

For regular practitioners, this monthly vrat is considered less demanding than Mahashivratri, making it easier to observe throughout the year.

Puja vidhi

A sankalp (vow) is taken during the day for the fast and the Shiva puja.
A fast is kept through the day (per one's capacity — see the fasting rules below).
In the evening or at night, a bath is taken to prepare for worshipping the Shiva lingam or murti.
Water and milk (and, by tradition, panchamrit/Gangajal) are offered in an abhishek.
Bilva leaves, flowers, sandal paste, unbroken rice, and incense-lamps are offered.
The mantra 'Om Namah Shivaya' is chanted, along with bhajans and aarti.
The main puja is performed at nishita kaal (midnight) — considered the most auspicious moment; many also visit a Shiva temple at night.
A night vigil is kept, and the fast is broken (parana) the next morning after a bath and puja.

What you need

Water, milk (panchamrit/Gangajal by tradition), bilva leaves, flowers, sandalwood paste, unbroken rice, incense-lamps, fruit, and a Shiva lingam or murti — this list can vary by tradition.

Panchamrit

Gangajal

Bilva leaves

Flowers

Sandalwood paste

Unbroken rice

Incense

Lamp

Fruit

Shiva lingam

Fasting

This fast is considered more flexible than Mahashivratri's — some keep a full fast, others eat only fruit and milk (phalahar), while some take a single sattvik meal. The fast generally begins at sunrise; the puja and vigil are held at night, and the fast is broken (parana) the next morning after the Shiva puja.

Mantra & aarti

The five-syllable mantra 'Om Namah Shivaya' (meaning: salutations to Shiva) is the core mantra of Shiva worship, chanted continuously through this night.

A traditional Marathi aarti, "Lavathavati Vikraala" by Samarth Ramdas, is sung to Shiva on this occasion — it opens with "Lavathavati vikraala brahmandi maala…"

Lavathavati vikrala brahmandi mala |Vishe kanth kala trinetri jwala |Lavanyasundar mastaki bala |Tethuniya jal nirmal vahe zulzula || 1 ||Jai dev jai dev jai Shrishankara |Aarti ovalu tuj karpurgaura || dhru ||Karpurgaura bhola nayani vishala |Ardhangi Parvati sumananchya mala |Vibhutiche udhalan shitikanth nila |Aisa Shankar shobhe Umavelhala || 2 ||Devi daityi sagarmanthan pai kele |Tyamaji je avachit halahal uthile |Te twa asurpane prashan kele |Nilkanth nam prasiddha zale || 3 ||Vyaghrambar phanivardhar sundar madanari |Panchanan manmohan munijansukhkari |Shatkotiche bij vache uchchari |Raghukultilak Ramdasa antari || 4 ||

Regional customs

In Maharashtra's panchang, many Masik Shivratri dates appear with the co-label 'Shivratri, Pradosh'. This is because the sankalp (vow) for the Masik Shivratri vrat is taken during the Pradosh period on Trayodashi evening, and the vrat is then completed on Chaturdashi night (nishita kaal). In other words, Pradosh is a separate Shiva vrat on Trayodashi evening, while Masik Shivratri is on Chaturdashi midnight — two distinct but linked Shiva observances, not one and the same.

Maharashtra follows the amanta calendar; while the deciding factor is which tithi prevails at nishita kaal, the exact date can shift by Panchang tradition — the dates on this page follow the Maharashtra-reference Panchang. Check local temple timings before visiting for darshan.

Dates (2026) — twelve Masik Shivratris

#	Date	Day	Masa	Tithi	Nakshatra	Note
1	16 January	Friday	Paush	Kri. Trayodashi (Chaturdashi at night)	Moola	'Shivratri, Pradosh'
2	15 February	Sunday	Magh	Kri. Trayodashi (Chaturdashi at night)	Uttarashadha	= the annual Mahashivratri
3	17 March	Tuesday	Falgun	Kri. Trayodashi (Chaturdashi at night)	Shatabhisha	'Shivratri'
4	15 April	Wednesday	Chaitra	Kri. Trayodashi (Chaturdashi at night)	Purva Bhadrapada	'Shivratri, Pradosh' — Budh Pradosh falls the same day
5	15 May	Friday	Vaishakh	Kri. Trayodashi/Chaturdashi	Ashwini	Both tithis fall on this day
6	13 June	Saturday	Adhik Jyeshtha	Kri. Trayodashi (Chaturdashi at night)	Krittika	Falls in the Adhik masa
7	12 July	Sunday	Nij Jyeshtha	Kri. Trayodashi (Chaturdashi at night)	Rohini	'Shivratri, Pradosh'
8	11 August	Tuesday	Ashadh	Kri. Chaturdashi (until dawn)	Punarvasu	Panchang's main headline is 'Amavasya'
9	9 September	Wednesday	Shravan	Kri. Trayodashi (Chaturdashi at night)	Ashlesha	'Shivratri'
10	8 October	Thursday	Bhadrapad	Kri. Trayodashi (Chaturdashi at night)	Purva Phalguni	'Shivratri, Pradosh' — Guru Pradosh falls the same day
11	7 November	Saturday	Ashwin	Kri. Trayodashi (Chaturdashi at night)	Chitra	'Shivratri'
12	7 December	Monday	Kartik	Kri. Chaturdashi (until dawn)	Vishakha	Chaturdashi prevails from sunrise itself

These twelve dates complete the year, one per month — there is no genuine gap. Two dates deserve a closer look.

The 13 June Masik Shivratri falls in the Adhik Jyeshtha month. Observance during an adhik masa can vary by tradition.

On 11 August, the panchang's main headline is 'Amavasya' rather than a standalone Shivratri label, but since Chaturdashi tithi is present until dawn that night, this night is still counted as a Masik Shivratri.

The precise nishita muhurat clock time varies by date and location — check the panchang page linked under each date.

Good to know

A full fast with a night vigil isn't suitable for everyone — those with diabetes, blood pressure issues, pregnant women, and the elderly should choose the fruit-only or single-meal option, and stay well hydrated. Fasting is not mandatory.
A different panchang tradition (such as North India's purnimanta reckoning) may show the date a day earlier or later — the dates on this page follow the Maharashtra-reference Panchang.
Check local temple timings before visiting for darshan.

FAQ

What is Masik Shivratri?: The Shiva vrat observed on Krishna paksha Chaturdashi every month (the night before Amavasya); it occurs twelve times a year.
What's the difference between Masik and Mahashivratri?: The Shivratri that falls in Magh/Falgun is the great annual Mahashivratri; the other eleven are the monthly Masik Shivratris — a more flexible, lighter vrat.
Which tithi does it fall on?: Krishna paksha Chaturdashi; the vrat is observed on the night when Chaturdashi tithi prevails at nishita kaal (midnight).
When are all the Masik Shivratri dates in 2026?: 16 Jan, 15 Feb (= Mahashivratri), 17 Mar, 15 Apr, 15 May, 13 Jun, 12 Jul, 11 Aug, 9 Sep, 8 Oct, 7 Nov, 7 Dec — twelve dates.
How is the vrat observed?: Take a sankalp, fast through the day, then at night perform a Shiva abhishek with water, milk, and bilva leaves, chant 'Om Namah Shivaya', keep vigil, and break the fast the next morning.
Are Masik Shivratri and Pradosh the same thing?: No. Pradosh is the Shiva vrat on Trayodashi evening (pradosh kaal); Masik Shivratri is on Chaturdashi midnight (nishita kaal) — two distinct but linked observances.
What time should the puja be performed?: Mainly at night, during nishita kaal (midnight) — considered the most auspicious time for Shiva worship; check that day's panchang page for the exact time.