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Maha Shivaratri 2026 in India

Maha Shivratri is an annual festival honoring Shiva, the Hindu God of destruction. People celebrate by fasting for a whole day and staying awake all night. They also chant hymns and sing devotional songs, called bhajans.

Is Maha Shivaratri a Public Holiday?

Maha Shivaratri is an optional holiday. Employment and holiday laws in India allow employees to choose a limited number of holidays from a list of optional holidays. Some employees may choose to take the day off on this day, however, most offices and businesses remain open.

The Hindu god Shiva is one of the three main gods in Hindu mythology.

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About Maha Shivaratri

Read more about Maha Shivaratri.

Maha Shivaratri Observances

Note: During a gazetted holiday, government offices and most businesses are closed so people have a day off work.

Year Weekday Date Name Holiday Type
2020 Fri Feb 21 Maha Shivaratri Gazetted Holiday
2021 Thu Mar 11 Maha Shivaratri Gazetted Holiday
2022 Tue Mar 1 Maha Shivaratri Gazetted Holiday
2023 Sat Feb 18 Maha Shivaratri Restricted Holiday
2024 Fri Mar 8 Maha Shivaratri Restricted Holiday
2025 Wed Feb 26 Maha Shivaratri Gazetted Holiday
2026 Sun Feb 15 Maha Shivaratri Restricted Holiday
2027 Sat Mar 6 Maha Shivaratri Gazetted Holiday
2028 Wed Feb 23 Maha Shivaratri Gazetted Holiday
2029 Sun Feb 11 Maha Shivaratri Gazetted Holiday
2030 Sat Mar 2 Maha Shivaratri Gazetted Holiday

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.