Mahashivratri Puja Samagri List and Home Abhishek Steps
Mahashivratri is Saturday 6 March 2027. The home puja samagri list: Shivling, abhishek lota, panchamrit, bel patra, diya, thali, and the abhishek steps.
For Mahashivratri puja at home you need a Shivling, a lota for abhishek, panchamrit (milk, curd, honey, ghee, sugar), Ganga jal, bel patra, dhatura, chandan, a diya, dhoop and fruit. Mahashivratri is on Saturday 6 March 2027. The full checklist is below, followed by the abhishek in order and the things that are not offered to Shiva.
The samagri checklist
| Group | Items |
|---|---|
| Altar | Shivling or Shiva idol, jaldhari or a plate to hold the Shivling |
| Abhishek | Lota for water, milk, curd, honey, ghee, sugar, Ganga jal |
| Offering | Bel patra, dhatura and aak flowers, white flowers, chandan, bhasma, akshat (unbroken rice) |
| Aarti | Pooja thali, diya, ghee and wick, dhoop, agarbatti, bell |
| Bhog | Fruit, ber, sweets |
Buy bel patra, dhatura and ber the evening before. Flower sellers outside temples run out early on the day.
Setting up the Shivling at home
Place the Shivling in a jaldhari, or in a plate with a rim deep enough to hold the abhishek liquids. Many families seat it so that the spout of the jaldhari points north and the person doing the puja faces east. The custom in most homes is a small Shivling, and larger ones are left to temples. Keep a bowl under the spout to collect the run-off, and spread a cloth under the plate.
The Shivling range has 24 pieces from ₹210, from 1 to 9.5 inches, and 23 of them are pure brass. Check the title of each for the metal. If the family keeps a Nandi, it sits facing the Shivling. There are 18 brass Nandi pieces from ₹890.
Abhishek in order: water, milk, curd, honey, ghee, sugar, water
- Water. Pour clean water, with a little Ganga jal mixed in, in a thin steady stream.
- Milk. Raw milk, poured slowly.
- Curd. A spoonful, spread lightly.
- Honey. A few drops.
- Ghee. A small spoonful.
- Sugar. A pinch, or sugar dissolved in water.
- Water again. Rinse until the Shivling is clean, then wipe it gently with a fresh cloth.
Many families chant “Om Namah Shivaya” through the abhishek. Some pour the five as mixed panchamrit in one step. Both are in use, and your family’s way is the one to follow.
Offerings: bel patra, dhatura, chandan, bhasma
- Bel patra: whole three-leaf sprigs with no tears, washed, laid with the smooth side down on the Shivling.
- Dhatura and aak flowers: offered whole. Dhatura is poisonous, so keep it away from children and wash your hands after.
- Chandan: a paste applied as a tripund, three horizontal lines.
- Bhasma: a pinch, where the family uses it.
- White flowers and akshat: offered last, before the diya and dhoop.
Then light the diya, show the dhoop, offer the fruit and ber, and do the aarti with the bell.
What is not offered to Shiva
By tradition these are avoided in Shiva puja: tulsi leaves, kumkum or sindoor, ketaki (kewra) flowers and coconut water. Chandan is used in place of kumkum. Broken rice is also avoided, which is why akshat means unbroken grains. Practices differ between regions and sampradayas, so ask the elders at home if you are unsure.
The four prahar puja, for those keeping the night vigil
Those who stay awake through the night divide it into four prahars and repeat the abhishek in each one. A common pattern gives one substance to each prahar: milk in the first, curd in the second, ghee in the third and honey in the fourth, with water and bel patra every time. The midnight period, nishita kaal, is held to be the main one. Prahar and nishita kaal timings change by city, so take them from your local panchang. Householders who do not keep the vigil do a single puja in the evening or at night.
Brass items you reuse every Monday and through Sawan
Nothing bought for this night is used only once. The Shivling, the jaldhari, the lota, the thali and the diya come out again for Monday puja and through the month of Sawan. That is the case for buying them in solid metal. Lotas come in 85 designs from ₹80.
The Mahashivratri puja items collection starts from ₹245. Order by 28 February so it arrives in time. For the aarti side of the list see the pooja thali sets, and for a Shivling sized for a home shelf see small Shiva idols. Hindi readers can use the Hindi samagri list.
