Chaturdashi
चतुर्दशी
Presiding deity: Shiva (Rudra) / Kali
Fourteenth day — Anant Chaturdashi (Shukla of Bhadrapada) = Ganesh visarjan + Vishnu Anant vrata. Narak Chaturdashi (Krishna of Kartik) = Choti Diwali.
Maha Shivratri = Krishna Chaturdashi of Phalguna — most sacred Shiva night. Masik Shivratri every Krishna Chaturdashi.
Best for
- + Shiva worship (especially night)
- + Anant Vishnu puja
- + Kali worship
- + Lighting lamps in darkness
Avoid for
- - Travel at night
- - Tamasic activities
Fasting tradition
Maha Shivratri — overnight fast with 4 jaagaran prahars, abhishek with milk/honey/curd/ghee/sugar/water; Masik Shivratri — fast till midnight, single Shiva abhishek.
Major festivals on this tithi
Maha Shivratri, Masik Shivratri (monthly), Anant Chaturdashi, Narak Chaturdashi, Kartik Chaturdashi
About Chaturdashi
Chaturdashi is the fourteenth lunar day, one step before the full moon or the new moon. The count here is the one most dependent on which fortnight is meant, because the same number leads to a bright night in the first half and to a nearly dark one in the second.
In the classical scheme it is rikta, together with the fourth and ninth tithis, and it is the tithi of Shiva in his Rudra form, with Kali also associated. These are deities of dissolution and fierce protection, which is why the day is treated as unfit for ordinary celebrations but ideal for night vigils, mantra and austerity. A strong link exists with the midnight hour in many traditions.
The dark-half Chaturdashi is the heavier one: its monthly Shivaratri leads up to Maha Shivaratri in Phalguna, the great night of Shiva, kept with fasting, vigil and four watches of worship. The Kartik Chaturdashi before Diwali is known for early oil baths and lamps. The bright-half version includes Anant Chaturdashi, which closes the Ganesh festival in many places and honours Vishnu as Ananta. Rules differ by community and region, so use a family or temple guide for details.
Common questions
- Why is Chaturdashi tied to Shiva?
- Tradition places Shiva in his Rudra form as lord of the fourteenth tithi, and Shivaratri vigils are observed on its dark-half night.
- What is Masik Shivaratri?
- It is the monthly Shivaratri on the dark-half Chaturdashi, a smaller version of the yearly Maha Shivaratri.
- What happens on Anant Chaturdashi?
- It falls in the bright half of Bhadrapada and honours Vishnu as Ananta. In many regions it also marks the immersion of Ganesha images.
Plan something around Chaturdashi
A pandit can confirm whether this window suits your ceremony and your birth chart before you commit to a date.