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Maha Shivaratri
Ash white, the green of bilva leaves and the blue of Shiva’s throat, on a night of fasting and vigil.
The colours of Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri, the great night of Shiva, is kept with a fast and a vigil until morning. Its colours are plain. Shiva is the ascetic god, and his devotees mark their foreheads with three lines of vibhuti, a white-grey sacred ash that recalls that everything ends as ash. The stone lingam in the temple is bathed with white milk, yoghurt and honey and covered with green bilva leaves, which grow in threes and are held to be dear to him. Shiva is called Neelkanth, the blue-throated, because he held poison in his throat to save the world, and he is often painted blue. Saffron-robed sadhus gather at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu and at Varanasi.
#D9D6CEVibhuti ashSacred ash drawn in three lines on the forehead.#4E7A32Bilva greenLeaves laid on the lingam.#2B4C9BNeelkanth blueThe throat of Shiva, stained by poison.#FBFAF5Milk whiteMilk poured over the lingam.Values are fair approximations, not official shades.
Read about the colours
Written by the Rang desk with AI assistance. Background: "Maha Shivaratri" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from family to family and place to place. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.