Mandi Shivratri 2027 – The Seven-Day Fair of 200 Gods
मंडी शिवरात्रि
When is Mandi Shivratri in 2027?
Mandi Shivratri begins on Saturday, 6 March 2027, opening with Maha Shivaratri and running for seven days in the town of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. The International Mandi Shivratri Fair gathers more than 200 village deities who are carried in palanquins to pay homage to the town deity Madho Rai and to Bhutnath Mahadev.
Mandi Shivratri is the seven-day fair that turns the small Himachali town of Mandi into a meeting ground for gods. Beginning on Maha Shivaratri, more than two hundred village deities are carried down from the surrounding hills on ornate palanquins to greet Madho Rai, the town’s royal deity, and to bow before Bhutnath Mahadev. Locals call Mandi ‘Chhoti Kashi’ for its dense cluster of old stone temples along the Beas. The 2027 fair opens on Saturday, 6 March.
Mandi Shivratri 2026-2028: Dates & Calendar
The Mandi fair always opens on Maha Shivaratri and runs for about a week, so its start date shifts each year with the Hindu lunar calendar. In 2027 it begins on Saturday, 6 March.
| Year | Fair begins | Day | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 15 February | Sunday | Fair already held |
| 2027 | 6 March | Saturday | Next occurrence – fair begins |
| 2028 | 23 February | Wednesday | Fair begins |
The opening day carries the main Maha Shivaratri worship and the first grand jaleb; the fair then continues with cultural nights and market days, closing with a final jaleb around the sixth or seventh day (about 12 March in 2027).
Why Mandi Shivratri Is Celebrated
Mandi Shivratri marks Maha Shivaratri, but it is celebrated above all as a devta-samagam – a gathering where the guardian gods of hundreds of Himachali villages assemble in one place to honour Mandi’s royal deity and the town’s Shiva shrine.
The tradition traces to the founding of Mandi town in the early sixteenth century under Raja Ajbar Sen, who is said to have invited the surrounding hill deities to bless his new capital. The custom of the gods travelling in to pay their respects has continued for close to five hundred years, which is why the 2026 fair was billed as around the 500th edition.
Assembly of the gods
More than two hundred village devi-devtas are carried into town on decorated palanquins, some after two or three days of walking across the hills. Nowhere else in India do so many local deities gather physically in one place, which is what gives Mandi Shivratri its fame.
Madho Rai as host
Madho Rai, a form of Vishnu installed by Raja Suraj Sen in the late seventeenth century, is Mandi’s presiding royal deity. During the fair every visiting god calls on him first, following an old order of precedence, before the collective worship at Bhutnath.
Chhoti Kashi
Mandi is nicknamed Chhoti Kashi, the little Varanasi, for its cluster of roughly eighty-one old temples set along the river Beas. The Shivaratri fair is the year’s high point for this temple town.
A living royal tradition
Once hosted by the rajas of Mandi state, the fair is now organised by the district administration, yet the ritual protocol between the deities has stayed largely intact, making it a rare window into hill kingdom custom.
Deities & Figures Worshipped
Mandi Shivratri centres on two resident deities of the town, Madho Rai and Bhutnath, joined by hundreds of visiting village gods, of whom Kamrunag is the most senior guest.
Madho Rai
Madho Rai is a form of Vishnu (linked to Raghunath) and the royal patron deity of Mandi. He presides over the fair as host; the opening jaleb is taken out in his honour and the visiting deities greet him as protocol demands.
Bhutnath Mahadev
Bhutnath is the Shiva shrine at the heart of Mandi, built around 1526. As the fair falls on Maha Shivaratri, the night-long worship of Shiva at Bhutnath is the devotional core of the whole event.
Kamrunag
Kamru Nag (Kamrunag), a rain deity of the Mandi hills, is traditionally regarded as the senior visiting god. The fair is customarily considered to begin properly only once his palanquin has arrived in town.
The visiting devtas
The hundreds of village deities, such as Parashar Rishi and countless local devi-devtas, arrive on palanquins called dolis or on chariots called raths. Each has its own musicians, banners and band of devotees who carry it on their shoulders.
Key Rituals, Step by Step
The seven days follow a loose but well-understood rhythm, framed by three grand processions on the opening, middle and closing days.
- Arrival of the devtas. In the days before the fair, village deities set out from their home temples, some walking two to three days across the hills, and are received in Mandi. Kamrunag’s arrival signals that the fair can begin.
- Maha Shivaratri worship. On the opening day devotees keep the Shivaratri vigil and offer prayers at Bhutnath and the town’s many temples through the night.
- Opening jaleb. The first grand procession, the jaleb, is led out in honour of Madho Rai. The assembled deities follow in their palanquins in a fixed order, with shehnais, karnals, drums and fluttering flags.
- Homage to Madho Rai and Bhutnath. Following protocol, each visiting god pays its respects to Madho Rai and then joins the collective worship at the Bhutnath temple.
- Week of the fair. Between processions the town holds a large trade and craft mela, with stalls, rides, food and pilgrims filling the ground by the Paddal maidan.
- Cultural nights. Evenings bring folk dances, hill music and staged programmes, which in recent years have included well-known performers invited by the organisers.
- Middle jaleb. A second procession is taken out mid-fair, again gathering the deities in their palanquins.
- Closing jaleb. On the final day a third jaleb marks the end of the fair, after which the visiting deities are given a formal farewell and begin the journey back to their villages.
Special Foods of Mandi Shivratri
Fair days in Mandi mean Himachali hill cooking, served both at the traditional community feast and from the rows of stalls that line the mela ground.
Himachali dham
Dham is the classic Himachali festive meal, cooked by specialist cooks called botis and eaten seated on the floor. It typically runs through dals, rajma, a sour madra, rice and a sweet, all in local style.
Siddu
Siddu is a steamed wheat-flour bun stuffed with a spiced filling of ground poppy or walnut, or with a sweet paste, and served hot with ghee or chutney. It is a favourite winter and fair food across Mandi and Kullu.
Babru & sweet stalls
Fair-goers pick up babru, a Himachali stuffed fried bread, along with jalebis, gur-based sweets, roasted snacks and hot tea from the stalls that fill the mela in the cold March air.
Vrat food
Devotees keeping the Maha Shivaratri fast eat simple vrat food such as fruit, milk, kuttu or singhara preparations and sabudana, breaking the fast the following morning.
Where It's Celebrated
Unlike most festivals, Mandi Shivratri is tied to one place, yet its reach extends across the Mandi region and to Himachali communities beyond.
Mandi town
The fair is held entirely in Mandi town, centred on the Bhutnath temple, the Madho Rai temple and the Paddal fairground by the Beas. The whole town becomes the venue for the week.
The Mandi hills
The participating deities come from villages across the old Mandi state and neighbouring valleys. For these communities, escorting their devta to Mandi and back is the biggest event of the year.
Himachali diaspora
People from Mandi living elsewhere in India and abroad time home visits around the fair, and the event now draws tourists and researchers interested in the region’s living deity culture.
Mandi Shivratri Do's and Don'ts
A few points of courtesy help visitors take part respectfully in what is, above all, a religious gathering.
Do
- Give way to the deity palanquins during the jaleb; let the procession and its bearers pass first.
- Keep a respectful distance from the devtas and their attendants unless invited closer.
- Ask before photographing rituals or palanquins, and follow the organisers’ guidance.
- Dress modestly and cover your head at the temples if asked.
- Carry warm clothing – Mandi is cold in February and March.
Avoid
- Do not touch or lean on the palanquins or push through a procession to get ahead.
- Do not block the path of a moving jaleb for photographs.
- Do not litter the temple precincts or the fairground.
- Do not treat the fair as only a market – the processions are acts of worship.
- Do not disturb the devta bearers or musicians while they are performing their duty.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Mandi Shivratri in 2027?
Mandi Shivratri in 2027 begins on Saturday, 6 March, the day of Maha Shivaratri, and runs for about seven days. The International Mandi Shivratri Fair is held in Mandi town, Himachal Pradesh.
When is Mandi Shivratri in 2026 and 2028?
The Mandi fair opened on Sunday, 15 February in 2026 and will open on Wednesday, 23 February in 2028. It always begins on Maha Shivaratri, whose date shifts each year with the Hindu lunar calendar.
Why is Mandi Shivratri celebrated?
Mandi Shivratri is celebrated as Maha Shivaratri and, uniquely, as a great assembly of gods. More than two hundred village deities of the Mandi region are carried into town to honour the royal deity Madho Rai and to worship Bhutnath Mahadev, a custom kept up for close to five hundred years.
Which gods are worshipped at Mandi Shivratri?
The two resident deities are Madho Rai, a form of Vishnu and Mandi’s royal patron, and Bhutnath, the town’s Shiva shrine. They are joined by hundreds of visiting village devi-devtas, of whom the rain deity Kamrunag is the most senior guest.
Why is Mandi called Chhoti Kashi?
Mandi is called Chhoti Kashi, the little Varanasi, because of its dense cluster of roughly eighty-one old stone temples along the river Beas. Like Kashi, it is a temple town, and the Shivratri fair is its greatest religious event.
What is the jaleb at Mandi Shivratri?
The jaleb is the grand procession of deities, led out in honour of Madho Rai. Three jalebs are held during the fair – on the opening, middle and closing days – with the palanquins moving in a fixed order to the sound of shehnais, karnals and drums.
How long does the Mandi Shivratri Fair last?
The International Mandi Shivratri Fair lasts about seven days. It begins on Maha Shivaratri with the first jaleb and closes roughly a week later with a final procession before the visiting deities return to their villages.
Where is Mandi Shivratri held?
Mandi Shivratri is held in Mandi town in Himachal Pradesh, centred on the Bhutnath temple, the Madho Rai temple and the Paddal fairground by the river Beas. The whole town becomes the venue for the week.
May the gods of the hills bless your path this Shivratri – Har Har Mahadev.