Maha Shivaratri in Amritsar

Date and timing in this city

In Amritsar (अमृतसर), Maha Shivaratri falls on Sunday 15 February 2026. The following year it falls on Saturday 6 March 2027. These dates are computed for Amritsar's own sunrise, in the Asia/Kolkata time zone.

The observance rests on Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi, the fourteenth tithi of the waning fortnight of Phalguna. Because the tithi is measured from the city's own sunrise, the day on which it is observed is settled locally, not by a single national calendar. The deity honoured is Shiva, and the central observance is a night vigil together with Shiva abhishek.

Why the date can differ from India

Tithi boundaries are not fixed clock hours. They are reckoned from the position of the moon relative to the sun, and the day is assigned according to when the tithi is current at sunrise at a given place. Since sunrise in Amritsar differs from sunrise elsewhere in India, a tithi that is running at one city's sunrise may have ended, or not yet begun, at another's.

This is why Maha Shivaratri can appear on different calendar dates in different parts of the country, and why a panchang prepared for Amritsar is the right reference for Amritsar. Traditions also differ in how the month is reckoned — amanta in some regions and purnimanta in others — and Smarta and Vaishnava households may follow slightly different conventions. The brief here follows the Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi reckoning; readers whose family or sampradaya follows another convention should consult their own panchang.

Where and how the community celebrates

Maha Shivaratri is pan-India in observance, and Amritsar is no exception. The pattern is familiar across regions: devotees keep a night vigil, staying awake through the night in prayer, japa and kirtan, and perform Shiva abhishek — the ritual bathing of the Shiva lingam with water, milk and other offerings according to family custom.

Specific venues, organisers and local event schedules are not part of this brief, so no particular temple or programme is named here. Families generally observe at the temple or shrine they already attend, or at home before their own altar.

Practical tips

• Check a panchang computed for Amritsar rather than a general national listing, since the tithi is fixed by local sunrise.
• Note the two dates given: 15 February 2026 and 6 March 2027.
• Plan the vigil in advance — the night is long, and rest before it helps.
• Arrange abhishek materials according to your family's customary practice.
• Where traditions differ, follow your own sampradaya rather than a generic rule.
• For anything tied to your personal chart, consult a qualified jyotishi.