Jyeshtha Kalashtami 2025: Date, timings, significance, and rituals

India Today

17-05-2025

Devotees all over India celebrate Kalashtami, a divine Hindu festival for Lord Kaal Bhairav, on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the decreasing moon phase (Krishna Paksha) every month. As a fierce and safeguarding avatar of Lord Shiva, Kaal Bhairav is revered with the utmost devotion by his admirers, who ask for his blessings for bravery, protection, and spiritual development.It is said that when Kalashtami occurs on a Sunday or Tuesday, the day becomes more powerful and spiritual. Jyeshtha Kalashtami, commonly referred to as Kaal Bhairav Ashtami, is going to take place on Tuesday, 20th May 2025, in the month of May 2025.advertisementKalashtami May 2025: Date and Tithi TimingsDate: Tuesday, 20th May 2025Ashtami Tithi Begins at 5:51 AM on May 20Ashtami Tithi Ends: 4:55 AM on May 21Significance of KalashtamiAs mentioned in the Aditya Purana, Kalashtami is of special significance for Shiva devotees, especially for the ones worshipping his fierce form, Kaal Bhairav, as the God of Time. The very name is derived from "Kaal" i.e., time and "Bhairav" i.e., the fearsome form of Shiva.Legend has it that Kaal Bhairav was born out of a divine conflict between the Trimurti—Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh (Shiva). Shiva, enraged at Lord Brahma's self-importance, took the form of Mahakaleshwar and beheaded Brahma's fifth head, becoming Kaal Bhairav. Ever since then, this fierce avatar has been revered as a negative energy shield and egoistic tendency deponent.advertisementKalashtami 2025 RitualsDevotees celebrate Kalashtami with seriousness, dedication, and fasting:Morning Rituals:Wake up early in the morning before sunrise and have a holy bath. Pray to Lord Kaal Bhairav, asking for forgiveness of previous sins and protection from evil forces. Many devotees also do Pitru Tarpan (offering to ancestors) to give peace to their ancestors.Fasting:Fasting on Kalashtami is said to bestow prosperity, happiness, and divine blessings. Some maintain a full-day fast, while others take a half-fast.Evening Puja:Go to a Kaal Bhairav temple in the evening and recite Bhairav Ashtakam, Shiva mantras, or tell the Kaal Bhairav Katha. Light lamps offer black sesame seeds, mustard oil, flowers, and sweets.Charity and Offerings:Donating food, clothing, and alms to Brahmins is highly meritorious. A special Kalashtami ritual is to feed or donate things like milk, curd, or sweets to black dogs, who are considered vahana (divine vehicle) of Lord Bhairav.Jyeshtha Kalashtami is more than a ritualistic practice—it's an insistence on the strength of Shiva to annihilate ego, wash away sins, and provide unflinching protection. In absolute devotion and spiritual purpose, devotees observe this day to seek celestial blessings and inner fortitude in their lives.