Mahashivratri 2018: Here's The Puja Timings and Puja Vidhi For The Festival

Mahashivratri 2018 Puja Date And Time

Mahashivratri Puja Timings this year have been given as starting at eight minutes past midnight on February 14th and ending at one in the morning, the same day. In the morning, the auspicious timing for Shiva Puja is 7.30 a.m. to 3.20 p.m. The Puja can be performed once or four times during the night, depending on how staunchly devoted one is to the deity. Traditionally, the fast is broken only after the Puja is over and after bathing in the morning.
 

_{Shivratri 2018 Puja Timings this year have been given as starting at eight minutes past midnight​}

Mahashivratri 2018 Puja Vidhi

The practice of fasting on Mahashivratri is an old one, but the way the fast is performed has changed with time. Early on the morning of the main day, devotees visit a nearby Shiva temple after bathing and do the darshan or the witnessing of the idol to seek blessings. The visit gets over before noon as after that temples are shut for the evening darshan. The next day, an abhishek is performed on Shiva idols in the temple. The abhishek is performed using different ingredients including milk, rose water, sandalwood paste, yogurt, honey, ghee, sugar and water.

The Shiva linga is offered various things like the bilva leaves, bilva fruits and dhatura. Devotees fast during the entire day and don't eat anything except fruits and juices. Some devotees don't have anything at all during the whole day. In the latter case, devotees generally have one meal in the evening, before the Puja that is to begin post-midnight.