Hailing from the urban jungle and mega metropolis of Mumbai I failed to find much purpose or value in Indian festivals. From childhood, I had studied in convent schools and read western authors, so I could relate with Christmas but not with Diwali or the religious Jain celebrations at home. But within a few years after graduation, Mahashivratri become my all time favourite and looked forward to festival!

How did this happen?

Only one answer. Sadhguru.

During graduation I took an Isha Yoga program in Mumbai and then volunteered for many years with them. Isha Mahashivratri soon become an all time favourite since I understood why I was celebrating it, beyond an ancient story of Gods. And as an Isha volunteer the festival is not just of one night of wakefulness but of many preparations over many, many days and often wakefulness of 2 nights 😀

I decided to write this post as a primer to the Isha Mahashivratri event – so you can make an informed decision on how to spend your time at this event. However, in the years since writing this blog, the event has expanded quite a bit. And every year the organization does things differently. So, please take this blog as indicative and be ready for on-ground changes.

Firstly,

The Mahashivratri Story

As the name suggests it is mainly a Shiva festival. And hence, one would consider it a Hindu religious festival. But as with many things “Hindu” often it is difficult to figure whether it is religious or cultural. Unlike other places in the world, there is a unique amalgamation of culture, religion and spirituality in Bharat. So, Sadhguru has recently tweeted,

Mahashivratri – the night of the Adiyogi – Shiva – is not about religion. It’s an all-inclusive festival that predates all religions. -Sg

So whether we consider it a Hindu religious festival or an ancient cultural one, basically, it is a night to stay awake. And of Shiva. Shiva is not just a Hindu God. (Again, we are not clear what ‘Hindu’ is). He is also considered as the first Yogi and Guru.

As typical for most Bharatiya (Indian) festivals, Mahashivratri falls on a specific lunar phase. Shivaratri means the 14th phase of moon while it’s waning. So right after it comes the Amavasya. The Shivaratri in the month of Maha or Magha is called Maha Shivaratri.

This night of Shivaratri in the month of Maha is considered the most powerful one. And so the common way to celebrate is by staying awake the whole night. This way the night is spent in chanting, poojas, meditation or even in a full out celebration as happens at Isha Yoga Center.

Mahashivratri Sadhana from Sadhguru

Another lovely aspect of this festival is that since it is a spiritually significant day in the year, a seeker can choose to prepare for it. Sadhguru announced a Mahashivratri sadhana few years back. Taking up an austere practice like this helps make this festival even more meaningful.

[Men can also opt for the Shivanga sadhana which is a 42 day process and culminates on a Shivratri]

What Happens at the Mahashivratri Celebrations at Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore?

Isha Yoga Center has been growing and with the unveiling of the 112 feet Adiyogi by Indian PM Narendra Modi in 2017 it is now a stunning setting for the Mahashivratri celebrations. The entire night there is a entertaining music, dance program that happens on a beautifully made stage right in front of the Adiyogi. There are a plethora of food stalls all around the venue for devotees to remain well-fed. There are other stalls of different Isha activities, outside vendors and so on.

Dance & Music in Front of Adiyogi

The main pull for a lot of people to this Mahashivratri event is this music, dance and entertaining program that takes place all night long. This program is live telecast on 100s of channels across India, so surely many would want to visit LIVE in Coimbatore at some point of time. Due to this program, for a lot of people this not a night of just sitting upright but of dancing all through it. It can be a very enjoyable night. No wonder it made it to my top favourite quite easily.

Meditation & Sadhguru Discourse

This dance and music program is interspersed with discourses by Sadhguru. Usually on the story of Mahashivratri and the latest projects and activities of Isha Foundation. At midnight there is a meditation session of Aum Namah Shivaya chanting. This used to be the main meditation activity. However, from past couple of years there have been smaller meditations before and after that too. Usually around 3 AM there would be a meditation for the brahma muhurat.

Isha MSR Usually Starts with Linga Bhairavi Yatra, Adiyogi Divya Darshanam & Isha Samskriti Performance

Usually, the start of the MSR event is quite spectacular with the Linga Bhairavi Yatra, Adiyogi Laser Show & Isha Samskriti Performance. (Sometimes the chief guest welcome and their speech might get a bit dragging, but oh well.)

Linga Bhairavi Yatra is a procession with the Bhairavi Yantra to the Yogeshwara Shrine near Adiyogi and back. I have been travelling for so many years across India and this culture of ‘idol processions’ can be found all across the country in many different forms. It is amazing! And makes me feel really happy. At Isha as usual, this procession was on a grander and stunning level than the typical rustic rural ones. But at the core it is the same thing. I am not aware of what exact spiritual significance is there about this activity – but all across the country we find it’s variants.

This Yatra happens around 6 PM. The access to the Bhairavi temple at this time is cut off. Visitors could sit near the Nandi or Surya Kund or anywhere in the route till Sarpa Vasal (Snake Gate) in 2018. But since then rules may have changed.

Right after this Bhairavi yatra is the Adiyogi Divya Darshanam and Sadhguru opening ceremony and Isha Samskriti dance so the first one hour of the event is a great start!

Adiyogi Divya Darshanam or Laser Show is a 14 minute laser show right on the Adiyogi statue itself. This Adiyogi light show is very, very popular with the public. It happens daily at 7.20pm – get all the details about this light show in my detailed guide post.

Isha Samskriti is one of the three types of schools Sadhguru has started where the students focus on a very traditional learning of bharatnatyam, kalaripayattu etc..(with a significantly reduced focus on academic curriculum). They often put up classical dance or kalaripayattu performances. These tend to be very high quality and inspiring !

Is Mahashivratri about Celebrations or Sadhana?

For a lot of people this entertainment is not needed to stay awake. Something a lot more low key would be fine. And at times I would agree to this – though one of the ideas propounded here is to make our sadhana one big, grand celebration. But the good thing is, now that Isha Yoga Center is a lot bigger, there is ample avenue to do quiet sadhana of your own in the premises. The space around Nandi and other areas are open to sit and meditate/chant or whatever else. And I saw that a lot of people had indeed chosen to sit by Nandi and meditate either for the full night or part of it.

However, last year in 2022 the entry from Sarpa Vassal was closed for a few hours. It was opened a little later in the night. I doubt there is any way to be sure what would be the timings and arrangements in 2023. Best is to simply be in the moment and go with the flow enjoying whatever comes our way. And be ready to WALK a LOT (seriously)

Understand the layout of the Coimbatore Isha Center in this video, so you can plan your experience better. the entire MSR stage and seating area will be in front of Adiyogi. Till Malai Vassal.

Grace of Yoga Workshop, For A Full Isha MSR Package Experience

Since 2020, they have launched a 5 day Premium Yoga workshop for devotees. As far as I know, all the paid accommodation booking in Isha Ashram happens only via this workshop. You can’t book a separate 1 or 2 day cottage for yourself (anyway it used to be really difficult).

This does make it easier to attend this event compared to making all your own decisions about how many days to stay and what to do at the event. You will also learn some yoga practices this way. Though this is a PREMIUM workshop, costly. 🙂 Know more about it here.

Panch Bhoota Aradhana in Dhyanalinga

Pancha bhoota aradhana is for Bhuta Shuddhi (purification) of the 5 elements present in us. This happens once a month on Shivaratri. As far as I know, on Mahashivratri day, this can be attended only through the Grace of Yoga program. Sadhguru generally presides over this aradhana on Mahashivratri as far as I know. And also AFAIK the devotees who do it are also allowed to be part of the Linga Bhairavi Yatra starting from the devi temple.

Dhyanalinga Midnight Abhishekam

One amazing activity that was allowed in 2022 was night abhishekam to the Dhyanalinga through the Mahashivratri night! This has never been allowed before this as far as I know. It was an amazing experience. People could offer milk, water or Kailash water. It had some nominal cost. Only, we had to be ready to stand in line for 45 mins to an hour. I don’t think this happened again in 2023. So, maybe it was a one off thing they tried.

At the Coimbatore Isha Center, the Mahashivratri is now a many day long event at the Isha Center. Yaksha starts 3 days before MSR, a classical dance and music event. Then there are cattle fair, rural programs, rural sports and other celebrations happening at Adiyogi for the next 7 days.

Yaksha Classical Music Program, 3 Days Before Mahashivratri

3 days before the Mahashivratri event there are Yaksha evenings of classical music and dance programs in the ashram which are free for all. This can add to the entire experience of the festival. But since these sessions are in the evening from about 6.30 PM to 8.30 PM, if you are not staying in the Isha Yoga Center, you may find it difficult to attend them. Plus, the seating might be full, since they are free and already the ashram is brimming full for MSR.

Cattle Fair & Rural Activities for 7 Days After Mahashivratri – Tamil Tembu

There are 7 days of events after the MSR night. This includes cattle fair of native Indian breeds. Rural sports, games, performances and more. However, from what I saw in 2023, this whole event is still coming up. Probably, in another 2 years it will be a lot more organized and ‘happening’.

Mahashivratri at Sadhguru Sannidhi aka Adiyogi Bangalore

Adiyogi Bangalore was unveiled in Jan 2023, and the same year Mahashivratri was celebrated at this Bangalore center also. But it was not a live program. Mostly the screening of the Coimbatore event. So, you could visit here as well for Mahashivratri. In 2023, the amenities at this center were quite basic with temp toilet boxes, parking difficulties and basic food availability. Probably in 2024, the center will be better prepared. We need to wait and watch how this center develops its own MSR celebration.

What Are the Ticket Prices To Attend this Isha Mahashivratri Live Event?

Coimbatore Live Event: At the Coimbatore Mahashivratri event, you will have a range of ticket prices that you can choose. These start from the FREE option to a 3,00,000 INR! The ticket price mainly determines your proximity to the stage. Attendees often prefer seats close to the stage as Sadhguru (and other celebs) are sitting right in the front. Closer seats allow a nearer view of the Guru! Also, the higher priced seats provide an exclusive area with food stalls and toilets. With the immense number of people attending, one may like to pay for a little bit of break from the mass.

In order to decide which tickets to select for yourself, it is better to understand the seating arrangement and then decide what makes sense for you. However, as I have written earlier, every year the seating arrangement changes. Moreover, the arrangement shown on the website ticket booking page is NOT exactly same on-ground. The below picture is of the seating arrangement shown on the website in 2023. However, the actual arrangement was a little different.

Try to Opt for Sections which are on BOTH Sides of the Dias: Because walking from one side to the other is really long walk – maybe 3 kilometers depending on where you are. So, better to have your seating bay on both sides of the dias that way you don’t need to worry too much about. I usually opt for Narmada which costs about 5000 INR. I find it pretty decently placed. In this graphic it suggests Narmada would be only on one side of the dias, but it was on both sides.

“Close to Sadhguru” Seating: Probably opt for Grace of Yoga program that I highlighted above. It will at least provide you with ashram accommodation and sathsangs with Sadhguru. Apart from that whichever bay you opt for – even the highest paid ones – there is no guarantee it will be close to Sadhguru. In 2022, the entire bay with Sadhguru was cordoned off. We couldn’t even look into it from outside. Even Grace of Yoga participants were seated outside of that bay. So, may Sadhguru’s bay is invite-only now.

Don’t Opt for Free Seating: After walking all over the event venue in the 2023 event, I would say – DO NOT opt for the free seating for this event anymore. Because that section was COMPLETELY cordoned OFF from this main event area. It had barely one or two food stalls. And one toilet area. That’s all. Earlier the free section was part of this main event area, so I thought it was a pretty decent option. Not any more. Suggest opting for at least the lowest paid seat over free seats.

Bangalore Event: Most likely in Bangalore Adiyogi, this event will be live telecast. The dynamics will be simpler – tickets will be less expensive. Let us wait and watch the exact arrangements as the 2024 Mahashivratri approaches. Watch this space for the updates .

Where to Stay for Isha Mahashivratri Event & How Will Travel From There to the Venue?

This is the trickiest bit because Isha Yoga Center is situated in the outskirts of Coimbatore. All around are mostly farms and forest. So, accommodation options are very limited. Best you read my Detailed blog post on this: Isha Mahashivratri Stay Options

What Can You Eat at Isha Mahashivratri?

This is the easiest one. There is free Annadaanam that happens during this night. So all the lakhs of people who come down can partake in the free food offering. You can also donate for it. Apart from this there are ample stalls in the event that sell foods and drinks like Cafe Coffee Day,Cream Center, McDonalds, Dosa spots, Fruits etc..

Costs: It all really depends on how you want to spend your Mahashivratri. For example, if you volunteer with them then most of your costs are free but you may be verrrry busy that night 🙂 On the other end you could go for a full out good accommodation in IYC and take pricey tickets at the event in which case you may end up spending lakhs too.

Main costs will be accommodation & seating tickets.

So overall due to the activities like Adiyogi Parikrama and Linga Bhairavi yatra I think Mahashivratri at Isha Yoga Center can be very enjoyable and deep experience. One thing to keep in mind is that since the place is so chock full of people at that time, there are many rules, areas cordoned off and so on. Plus, you will mostly be able to see the stage program only through installed screens… so many people consider that if anyway, they are watching the screen then why not sit at home and watch. It is a valid thought but I feel at least once you should experience at the venue itself. The dancing, energy and now the ethereal Adiyogi creates a unique ambience!