Maha Shivaratri 2026: Date, Meaning & Where to See It
The great night of Shiva, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and sadhus from Nepal and India gather at Pashupatinath.
- Next
- Usually in February–March
- Earlier years
- 15 February 2026 · 26 February 2025 · 8 March 2024 · 18 February 2023 · 1 March 2022
Sadhus arrive at Pashupatinath days early and camp around the temple; on the night itself devotees queue from midnight, bonfires burn across the valley and the whole Pashupati area stays awake.
It is one of the most striking sights in Nepal, but crowds are huge: go early, keep valuables close, and remember only Hindus may enter the main shrine.
Where to see it
Pashupatinath
Kathmandu, Bagmati ProvinceNepal's holiest Hindu temple, on the Bagmati river, where Shiva is worshipped as Lord of Animals and the dead are cremated on the ghats.
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Halesi–Maratika Caves
Khotang, Koshi ProvinceLimestone caves sacred to Hindus as Halesi Mahadev, to Buddhists as Maratika, and to the Kirat people.
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Hidden gemDolakha Bhimsen
Dolakha, Bagmati ProvinceA roofless shrine in an old Newar town, whose stone image of Bhimsen is said to 'sweat' before national disasters.
Read more →Quick answers
- When is Maha Shivaratri in 2026?
- Usually in February–March. The exact date for the next one is not published yet.
- What is Maha Shivaratri?
- The great night of Shiva, when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and sadhus from Nepal and India gather at Pashupatinath.
- Where is the best place to see Maha Shivaratri?
- Pashupatinath, Halesi–Maratika Caves, Dolakha Bhimsen.
Other festivals
Dates from the public Holidays in Nepal calendar (Google Calendar), checked daily. Local festivals not in that calendar show their usual month; lunar dates can shift by a day locally.