✦ Trincomalee, Mannar, Chilaw · Hindu festival
Maha Shivaratri
The great night of Shiva — night-long prayers at the island’s ancient Shiva temples such as Koneswaram and Ketheeswaram.
Photo: Alexey Komarov / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
When it usually happens
- JanNot usually
- FebUsually takes place
- MarUsually takes place
- AprNot usually
- MayNot usually
- JunNot usually
- JulNot usually
- AugNot usually
- SepNot usually
- OctNot usually
- NovNot usually
- DecNot usually
Many Sri Lankan festivals follow the lunar calendar, so exact dates change every year — check the official dates before booking.
Overview
Maha Shivaratri, ‘the great night of Shiva’, falls in February or March according to the Hindu lunar calendar. Devotees fast and keep a night-long vigil of prayer.
Major celebrations take place at Sri Lanka’s ancient Shiva temples, including Koneswaram in Trincomalee, Ketheeswaram near Mannar and Munneswaram near Chilaw. It is a public holiday.
Highlights
- Night-long vigil and pujas
- Koneswaram Temple on Swami Rock, Trincomalee
- Ketheeswaram Temple near Mannar
Good to know
- Dress modestly; shoes off inside temples
- Expect large crowds through the night
References / Sources
- Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau: https://www.srilanka.travel
Location
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