Within the Shiva Purana, the life of devotion to Shiva is woven above all around the rhythm of sacred time—specific nights, days, and lunar phases that are said to be especially charged with his presence. Foremost among these is Mahāśivarātri, observed on the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight, where the text dwells on fasting, night-long vigil, and continuous worship of the liṅga with water, milk, and other offerings, accompanied by the repetition of Shiva’s names and mantras. Closely related is the monthly observance of Śivarātri on the same lunar tithi throughout the year, which mirrors these practices in a more regular, cyclical form. Together, these rites are portrayed as powerful means for the destruction of sin and the attainment of Shiva’s grace.

The Purana also places great emphasis on recurring vows that shape the devotee’s entire month and fortnight. Pradoṣa-vrata, kept at the twilight of the thirteenth lunar day of each fortnight, is described as especially dear to Shiva, with fasting, worship, and listening to sacred narratives yielding great merit. Somavāra-vrata, the Monday fast, is highlighted in the months of Śrāvaṇa and Kārtika, where Mondays—Shravan Somvar and Kartik Somvar—are treated as particularly auspicious for intensified worship, including visits to liṅga shrines, offerings of bilva leaves, and recitation of “Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya.” In this way, the ordinary week and month are sacralized through repeated returns to Shiva-centered observances.

Alongside these calendrical festivals, the Shiva Purana elaborates a whole culture of ritual centered on the liṅga itself. Daily and special liṅga-pūjā are described in detail, with Rudrābhiṣeka—ceremonial bathing of the liṅga with water, milk, honey, ghee, and similar substances—presented as a particularly potent form of worship. Bilva-patra-pūjā, the offering of sacred bilva leaves, is singled out as highly meritorious, a simple yet profound act that can be integrated into both major festivals and everyday practice. The text also connects general fasting days such as Ekādaśī, full moon, and new moon with Shiva worship, when observed with his mantra and appropriate ritual attention.

Taken together, these observances depict a devotional path in which the devotee’s days, weeks, and months are gradually aligned with Shiva’s sacred rhythm. Major nights like Mahāśivarātri, fortnightly moments such as Pradoṣa, and the patterned Mondays of Śrāvaṇa and Kārtika all converge on the same inner gesture: sustained remembrance, disciplined fasting, and focused worship of the liṅga. The Shiva Purana thus does more than list festivals; it sketches a way of life in which time itself becomes an offering, and every carefully kept vow is understood as a step toward Shiva’s abiding presence and ultimate liberation.