Maha Shivaratri
Friday 8 March 2024

shivaling abhishek (cropped)

Maha Shivaratri is special day in the Hindu calendar for offering reverence to Lord Shiva. Devotees flock to bathe the shivaling – a representation of the popular Hindu deity symbolising his energy and potentiality – with panchamrut (a holy mixture of milk, yoghurt, honey, sugar and ghee) and to offer bilva-patra (bael leaves). It is also a day of fasting and chanting, while an annakut (offering of food) will be made to the deities in the shrine.

Venue

Upper Sanctum

Maha-Rudrabhishek

9.00am to 8.00pm

Annakut Darshan

9.00am to 8.00pm

Annakut Arti

11.45am to 12 noon

Sandhya Arti

7.00pm to 7.20pm

Ice Shivalinga

Present in the Haveli entrance throughout the day

Getting Here

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Contact Us

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir
Pramukh Swami Road
Neasden, London NW10 8HW, UK
T: +44 (0)20 8965 2651
F: +44 (0)20 8965 6313
E: info@londonmandir.baps.org

Visitor Information

Admission Free

General Opening Times

Mon to Sun: 9.00am to 6.00pm

Allow at least 2 hours for a complete tour

Murti Darshan Times

Guided Tours

Free public tours
Audio Tour Guides available

Accessibility

Wheelchair access and lifts available

Visitor Guidelines

Learn More

    ‘Shiva’, in Sanskrit, means ‘the auspicious one’. While the Destroyer aspect of the universe’s three stages of existence, he is often depicted as a yogi, adorning the symbols of simplicity and asceticism.

    An ice shivaling, symbolising the manifestation of Lord Shiva, is presented in the Haveli entrance on the day of Shivaratri providing a reminder of the sacred pilgrimage town of Amarnath in India where a natural ice shivaling exists.