Maha Shivaratri is the fourteenth night of the waning Moon in Phagun. Assam's greatest gathering is at Sivasagar, the old Ahom capital, where the Sivadol rises thirty-two metres above its tank and a fair lasts for days. In Guwahati, boats carry pilgrims to Umananda on its island in the Brahmaputra. The day is a fast and the night a vigil.
The story
The Sivadol was built in 1734 by Ambika, queen of the Ahom king Siva Singha, beside the great tank the town is named for. The Ahoms, who came from the east in the thirteenth century, became patrons of Shiva and of the goddess.
Umananda stands on Peacock Island, said to be where Shiva burned Kama to ash; the hill is also called Bhasmachal, the hill of ashes.
How it is kept
- UpabasA fast through the day.
- OfferingsMilk, water, bel leaves and dhatura on the linga.
- MelaThe fair at Sivasagar, with pilgrims and sadhus from across the north-east.
- JagaranA night of songs to Shiva.
Why this date
Maha Shivaratri is the Chaturdashi of the dark fortnight of Phagun, on the day that tithi covers midnight.
Maha Shivaratri in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wednesday | |
| 2026 | Sunday | |
| 2027 | Saturday | |
| 2028 | Wednesday | |
| 2029 | Sunday | |
| 2030 | Saturday |
More Assamese festivals
3 MarchDoul Utsavদৌল উৎসৱ
23 JanuarySaraswati Pujaসৰস্বতী পূজা
14 AprilGoru Bihuগৰু বিহু
15 JanuaryMagh Bihuমাঘ বিহু
26 MarchRam Navamiৰাম নৱমী
2 AprilHanuman Jayantiহনুমান জয়ন্তী
Where to see Maha Shivaratri
In Assam
- Sivadol, SivasagarAssamThe Shivaratri Mela on the bank of the Borpukhuri.
- Umananda Temple, GuwahatiAssamOn the smallest inhabited river island in the world, reached by ferry.
- Mahabhairav Temple, TezpurAssamAn ancient shrine with a very large stone linga.
- Sukreswar Temple, GuwahatiAssamOn the south bank of the Brahmaputra, where the river is worshipped at dusk.
Across India
- UnakotiTripuraRock-cut faces of Shiva in the forest.
- DeogharJharkhandBaidyanath Dham, the Jyotirlinga of the east.
- VaranasiUttar PradeshKashi Vishwanath and the wedding procession of Shiva.