Sunday, February 15, 2026
Maha Shivaratri 2026 falls on Sunday, February 15, 2026 in Austin. It is Phalguna Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi in the Hindu lunar calendar. Nishita Kaal is 12:19 AM – 1:10 AM. Sunrise is 7:12 AM and sunset 6:18 PM.
Same day as India
Also known as: Shivratri · Mahashivratri · Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri, the "great night of Shiva", falls on the fourteenth night of the waning moon in Magha. Unlike most festivals it is dated by what is happening at *midnight* rather than at sunrise, because the vigil, not the daylight, is the observance.
Devotees fast through the day and keep watch through the night, offering water, milk and bilva leaves to the Shiva linga in four watches. The Nishita Kaal window below is the most auspicious of them.
Maha Shivaratri 2026 in Austin is on Sunday, February 15, 2026. It falls on Phalguna Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi.
Nishita Kaal in Austin on Feb 15, 2026 is 12:19 AM – 1:10 AM. This is the window in which the main observance is performed.
Yes. Maha Shivaratri falls on Feb 15, 2026 in both Austin and India this year, though the puja timings differ because sunrise and moonrise are local.
Maha Shivaratri is also known as Shivratri, Mahashivratri, Shivaratri. These are regional names and spellings for the same festival.