When Is Shivaratri?

Hyderabad: It looks like the confusion over festival dates has become the norm of the day. It was the case with Sankranthi and now there seems to be confusion as to when Mahashivaratri has to be celebrated. Different sections of purohits in Telangana state are proposing different dates for the festival, this has sparked debate. The followers of Poorva Siddhanta have mentioned that the festival has to be celebrated on February 13, while those who believe Drik Siddhanta argue it should on February 14.

It may be recalled that a meeting was convened by the Telangana Vidhvat Sabha to end the confusion over Hindu festival dates. The pandits have announced that Mahashivaratri should be celebrated on February 13. Based on this, both the Telugu states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have declared February 13 as holiday.