Mahashivratri at Gangeshwar Mahadev, Diu

religious

Mahashivratri, the fourteenth night of the waning moon in Phalguna, falling in February or March — plus the Mondays of Shravan. One night, plus the month of Shravan

When it happens

February

Mahashivratri, the fourteenth night of the waning moon in Phalguna, falling in February or March — plus the Mondays of Shravan.

Annual

Significance

Diu's most important Hindu site and its most-visited religious place — the counterweight to St Paul's on the same small island.

Why it's celebrated

The shrine is dedicated to Shiva; the name is read as Ganga and Ishwar, for Shiva catching the descending river in his hair.

How it's celebrated

Special puja and abhishek of the lingas on Mahashivratri, with an all-night vigil and darshan, and a fair around the shrine. Through Shravan, and on Sawan Mondays especially, a steady stream of devotees comes.

Key rituals

Abhishek of the lingas, all-night vigil on Mahashivratri, and Monday worship through Shravan.

Beliefs & spiritual meaning

The sea itself is understood to perform the abhishek, washing over the lingas at every high tide.

History & origins

A tidal-rock shrine on the Diu shore, long predating the territory's Portuguese period and continuing through it.

Frequently asked

When should I visit Gangeshwar Mahadev?+

Mahashivratri, in February or March, is the shrine's principal festival, with an all-night vigil and a fair. The Mondays of Shravan are the other busy days. Whenever you go, check the tide first — the lingas stand in the sea and are submerged at high water.

What is unusual about this temple?+

Five Shivlingas of different sizes are cut into the tidal rock on the shore, so the sea washes over them at every high tide and performs the abhishek itself. At low tide they emerge; at high tide the shrine is under water.

Related festivals

religious

Chaitra Chaudas Mela, Pehowa

The Saraswati Tirtha ghats at Pehowa town, Kurukshetra district, Haryana.

religious

Kottankulangara Chamayavilakku

Sree Kottankulangara Devi Temple, Chavara, Kollam district, Kerala.

religious

Mela Kheer Bhawani

The Ragnya Devi temple at Tulmulla, Ganderbal district, Jammu & Kashmir, about 25 km from Srinagar.

religious

Hanuman Jayanti

Celebrated pan-India; particularly popular in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

religious

Ganga Dussehra

Observed along the sacred banks of the Ganges, primarily in Haridwar, Rishikesh, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Garhmukteshwar, and Patna.

religious

Jagannath Rath Yatra

Puri, Odisha is the grand epicenter, though celebrated on smaller scales across India.

religious

Bumchu

Tashiding Monastery in Gyalshing district, West Sikkim — a Nyingma monastery founded in 1641.

religious

Buddha Purnima (Vesak)

Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Sikkim, Ladakh, and globally across Buddhist nations.