Shivaratri Observance & Weekend Celebration

You are invited to participate in a weekend of activities and observances, culminating in Shivaratri, a night of prayer, chanting, storytelling, meditation, and reflection in honor of Shiva — a manifestation of universal consciousness and the destroyer of ignorance. 

Arrive on Saturday and participate in two yoga classes; a guided campus tour which includes observing the Shivaratri preparations and learning how this ritual is situated within  Mount Madonna’s living tradition; a workshop exploring Shiva symbolism; morning and evening arati (ritual of light); and shared meals in community.

The observances begin on Sunday with the creation of 1008 clay lingams (symbols of the formless universal divine principle), followed by an all-night vigil Sunday night, and closing with a powerful sunrise ritual at the pond on Monday morning. This special time offers an opportunity for deep devotion, inner stillness, and the awakening of our true nature. Sunday’s yoga offerings include an all-levels class and a special Shivaratri practice to honor Shiva as the presence of stillness and awareness within.

You are welcome to come stay for one night, two nights (or more); or simply join us for a Mountain Experience day visit on Saturday, and fully immerse yourself in community, devotion, practice, and nature.

Arrive as you are, and stay for the unfolding.

There are a number of ways in which you may choose to participate:

• Full Weekend Program with Overnight Accommodations:
  Choose to stay the night of Saturday, February 14, with the option to extend your stay through the night of Shivaratri and beyond. Check in at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and enjoy a guided tour, themed yoga practice, and end your day with a Shiva symbolism class. Your overnight stay also includes shared meals, evening and morning arati, and access to the facilities and miles of hiking and walking trails. Advance registration required, please register by Wednesday, February 11.
  

Additional overnight(s): You may also choose to continue your stay after Shivaratri.

Cost: Based on lodging selection and number of nights.

• Exploring Shivaratri Mountain Experience (Saturday ONLY):
  Register for a Mountain Experience on Saturday, February 14, 2026. Check in at 10:00 a.m., depart at 7:00 p.m.; includes brunch and dinner, guided tour, themed yoga practice, and Shiva symbolism class, evening arati, and access to the facilities and miles of hiking and walking trails. Advance registration required, please register by Wednesday, February 11.
  

Cost: $105 for adults and children 13+; $50 for children 5 – 12 years old; free for children 4 years & under

• Shivaratri Observance (including Parthiv Puja) & Monday Breakfast:
  Attend the Parthiv Puja and Shivaratri Observance: Arrive anytime after 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 15 to join in the Parthiv Puja, preparations, and Shivaratri Observance, with the option to purchase lunch and/or dinner on Sunday. You may stay all night and for Monday breakfast, free of charge. NO OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS INCLUDED. Advance registration required, please register by Wednesday, February 11.
  

Cost: FREE + Cost of meal(s), as chosen (no charge for meals for children under 13 years)

• Join us from afar via Livestream on the Temple YouTube channel:

Sunday, February 15, 9:30 a.m. – Parthiv Puja
Sunday – Monday, February 15 to 16, 7:15 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. – Shivaratri observances
Monday, February 16, 5:00 a.m. – Maha Shivaratri Puja

Cost: FREE

Shivaratri Preparations & History Walk

This special guided walk on Saturday begins with a behind-the-scenes look at Shivaratri preparations, including Mount Madonna’s historical relationship with Shivaratri and the unfolding of the 24-hour observance. Participants will learn about the evolution of Shivaratri preparations, the origins of the rituals (including prayers and practices given by Baba Hari Dass), and the history of the Hanuman Fellowship’s Shivaratri observances. The walk continues outdoors to Sunset Ridge, with a stop at the Sunset Ridge Shiva shrine, where flowers will be offered.

Shivaratri Yogic Symbolism in Ritual, Chanting, & Prayer

This class offers context for the rituals and chanting that unfold over the 24-hour Shivaratri observance, helping participants understand what they will experience and why these practices are held within tradition. Bhavani Siegel, who has been integral to nearly 40 years of Shivaratri celebrations at Mount Madonna, will guide the Saturday evening class, drawing upon her lived experience to illuminate the yogic symbolism and significance of the rituals observed throughout the night of Shivaratri, including the interrelationship of Shiva and his female counterpart, Shakti. We will begin with an overview of ritual itself — puja (ceremonial offering) and yajna (ancient Vedic ritual) — as living expressions of Yoga, and then walk through the key observances participants will experience during Shivaratri. Alongside this, the class will explore kirtan and bhajan (devotional singing) as a practice of Bhakti Yoga (path of devotion), offering insight into the many names and forms of Shiva and Shakti that are invoked throughout the night.

Weekend Yoga Classes

Please note that all yoga classes are appropriate for young adults ages 13+.

Classical Ashtanga Yoga | Saturday, February 14, 7:30 – 9:45 a.m.
An all-levels class offering breathing practices, meditation, and movement methods to quiet the mind and develop concentration. The practice includes one hour of pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation, followed by a brief break and then 70 minutes of asana (postures). Taught by various teachers trained in Classical Ashtanga Yoga (eight-limbed path) in the lineage of Baba Hari Dass.

Shiva: Stillness & Transformation  | Saturday, February 14, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
This Shiva-inspired 90-minute practice with Vidhi Tibrewala begins with grounding pranayama, including alternate nostril breathing and ujjayi, followed by chanting and silent meditation to settle the mind and connect with inner stillness. We will then move into a steady, mindful asana practice that balances strength and surrender. The class will close with a deeply restorative sound bath savasana (corpse pose), allowing the body and nervous system to fully integrate the experience. Expect to leave feeling centered, clear, and renewed.

All-Levels Yoga | Sunday, February 15, 7:00 – 8:30 a.m.
A moderately paced, all-levels yoga class that combines breath, meditation, and poses to balance the physical and subtle body. Expect a short seated portion of class with guided breath and meditation, and a yummy asana sequence that balances flow and holds, challenge and restoration.

Abiding in Awareness of Shiva: Movement, Meditation, & Mantra  | Sunday, February 15, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m.
This Shivaratri yoga practice, taught by Omprakash Muller and Emily Crotty, offers a quiet, inward-turning approach to yoga, honoring Shiva as the presence of stillness and awareness within. The class weaves gentle yet enlivening asana designed to ease tension, bringing energy, movement, and relaxation to the body. Seated meditation and sacred prayer, Nirvana Shatkam, support a gradual settling of body, breath, and mind awareness. This class is suitable for practitioners of all levels.

A Space for Contemplative Practice

The Conference Center Main Room will be open from 12:30 – 3:00 p.m. on Sunday for quiet contemplation on Shiva, meditation, and personal practice, accompanied by a recorded selection of mantras (sacred chanting) and prayers. Please refrain from conversation when entering the Conference Center. Thank you for helping maintain an inward-focused space for all.

Additional offerings on the mountain include:

• Personal time to relax in community spaces, including Anjaneya’s World Cafe and Oceanview Books & Gifts
• Option to visit the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
• Option to book a wellness treatment at Kaya Kalpa Wellness Center (additional fees apply, advance reservations recommended)

Background

Shivaratri is an auspicious night celebrating Shiva, or Mahadeva, the “Great God” whose form symbolizes the destructive or transformative aspect of creation as well as the formless, unchanging, all pervading Pure Consciousness that underlies all reality. Based on the lunar calendar, the lunar fortnight in February or March, when the moon is waning, is traditionally “the night of Shiva” and a time for prayer, meditation, and worship with the intent of surrendering our minds to the divine energy that Shiva represents. 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.

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 the talk that Janardan gave during Shivaratri in 2022 in the video embedded below.