Shivaratri Observance 2026
SAVE THE DATE! | February 14 - 16, 2026
You are invited to participate in Shivaratri, a night of prayer, chanting, storytelling, and reflection in honor of Shiva—a manifestation of universal consciousness and the destroyer of ignorance. The ceremonies will begin with the creation and consecration of 1008 clay lingams, followed by an all-night vigil, and closing with a powerful sunrise ritual at the lake. This special time offers an opportunity for deep devotion, inner stillness, and the awakening of our true nature.
BACKGROUND
Shivaratri is a night that celebrates the Hindu deity Shiva on the lunar fortnight, when the moon is waning, in the lunar month Phalguna (twelfth month of the Hindu calendar and corresponds to February or March in the Gregorian calendar). This particular night is considered a time for consecration, dedication, and ultimately surrender of the mind to the Divine Presence in the form of Lord Shiva. This cold and dark time of year can be challenging for some and therefore it is considered one of the most important and auspicious times for spiritual aspirants to intensively pursue their practice. For millennia, Shivaratri rituals have provided a beautiful opportunity for millions of people throughout the world to reconnect with their spiritual aspirations.
The god Shiva has many symbolic names and forms, one of which is the Shiva lingam, a symbol of the formless universal divine principle. Through ritual, prayer, chanting, meditation and other austerities (such as fasting and staying up through the night) we purify the mind and offer our ignorance to Shiva, the aspect of God who is the remover or the destroyer. What is removed or destroyed is our erroneous identification as the individual self so that we may recognize our true identity, the Universal Self.
For more information about Shivaratri, please watch this talk that Janardan gave during Shivaratri in 2022.
