Maha Shivaratri in Chitrakoot

Maha Shivaratri in Chitrakoot: Date and Timing

Maha Shivaratri is observed on Phalguna Krishna Chaturdashi, the fourteenth tithi of the waning fortnight of Phalguna. In Chitrakoot (चित्रकूट), India, the festival falls on:

• Sunday 15 February 2026
• Saturday 6 March 2027

These dates are computed for Chitrakoot's own sunrise, in the Asia/Kolkata time zone. The tithi is the same Chaturdashi everywhere, but the civil day on which it is observed can shift from place to place because the tithi is mapped to the local sunrise and the night that follows.

Why the Date Can Differ from India

Festival dates are not decided by a single national calendar. Panchangas are calculated for a given location's sunrise, so the tithi that is current at sunrise in one city may not be current at sunrise in another. When a tithi begins or ends close to sunrise, two cities can end up observing on different civil dates. This is why Chitrakoot's date is worked out for Chitrakoot, and not simply copied from a national list. Different regions also follow different conventions — amanta and purnimanta reckoning, and Smarta and Vaishnava practice — so local panchangas may vary in how they name and place the same tithi. Where traditions differ, both readings are traditionally respected.

Where and How the Community Celebrates

Maha Shivaratri is a pan-India observance, and Chitrakoot is no exception. Devotees keep a night vigil, staying awake through the night in prayer, kirtan and japa. A central practice is Shiva abhishek — the ritual bathing of the Shivalinga — along with offerings of water, milk and bilva leaves, according to family and local custom. Fasting is common, in the form the household follows. Because the observance is tied to the night of Chaturdashi, the vigil and the abhishek are usually timed to that night rather than to daylight hours.

Practical Tips

• Confirm the local tithi and night timings with a panchanga prepared for Chitrakoot, since the date is sunrise-based.
• Plan the vigil around the night of Chaturdashi; this is the part of the observance most closely tied to the tithi.
• If you fast, follow your family's customary practice and your own health needs.
• For anything specific to your own chart — vrat rules, sankalpa or personal observance — consult a qualified jyotishi.