Mahashivratri 2025: Key Moments from the Grand Celebration at Isha Yoga Center
Last updated on March 15th, 2025 at 01:19 pm
At 6 PM on February 26, 2025, the grand Mahashivratri celebration at the Isha Yoga Center commenced, stretching across 12 mesmerizing hours filled with soul-stirring music, dance, meditation, chanting and the divine presence and insightful words of Sadhguru.
Stellar performances and the meditative practices that were part of this night-long event, left the audience enthralled and infused the attendees with positive energy and a sense of calm.
Mahashivratri is one of the most sacred festivities in India and is dedicated to Lord Shiva who is considered at the Adi Guru and originator of yogic traditions. It is the darkest night of the year and the planetary positions at this time are such that there is a natural rise in the energy in our system. It is said that staying awake and keeping the spine erect throughout the night of Mahashivratri can be greatly beneficial for one’s physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Celebrated with great fervor at the Isha Yoga Center since 1995, this festival has transformed from an intimate event into a magnificent gathering, attracting nearly 10 lakh visitors in just one day. Several eminent artists have graced the night with their spectacular performances, people of all age groups have taken part in this event, and Sadhguru’s powerful stage appearance has been a constant in all these celebrations. His versatile personality and presence on stage always leaves the audience spellbound, and that’s one of the important reasons why people the world over look forward to the Shivaratri celebration at Isha Yoga Center.
One of the key reasons to celebrate Mahashivratri at the Isha Yoga Center is its unique geographical location—situated at 11 degrees latitude from the equator. This positioning is considered highly beneficial for those seeking to elevate their energies to the highest level. It is said to be almost like sitting right on 11, creating an ideal atmosphere for spiritual growth.
The event’s popularity is also driven by the powerful spiritual offerings available, such as Pancha Bhuta Kriya, Shivanga Sadhana, the Grace of Yoga program, and the Velliangiri Yatra (exclusively for men) designed as a preparatory process for Mahashivratri.
Additionally, the night comes alive with performances by artists from diverse backgrounds, along with chanting, yogic practices and meditative processes that deepen the spiritual intensity of the celebration. The ceremonial procession of the Linga Bhairavi Utsav Murti further enhances the atmosphere, creating a space for devotees to connect with Devi’s grace.
This year’s Mahashivaratri celebration at Isha Yoga Center had this all, and some other attractions. Let’s look at the highlights of the Mahashivratri night of 2025 that was celebrated with great fervour at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore.
Key Highlights of the Mahashivratri Night 2025 at Isha
The nightlong Mahashivratri festival at IYC this year began at 6pm on February 26, 2025. This year’s stage décor theme was Kailash. The stage setup and decoration beautifully depicted Kailash, the holy abode of Lord Shiva and added a mystic element to the celebration.
The chief guest for this event was Mr. Amit Shah, Honourable Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation of Bharat. His presence at the event gave a new dimension to this night-long celebration. The celebration commenced with the soulful singing by the artists of Sounds of Isha. Their musical expressions created a pious atmosphere and added to the spiritual vibe of the sacred space.
Speech by the Chief Guest
Chief guest Mr. Amit Shah, during his speech, described the event at Coimbatore as Bhaktika Mahakumbh. He said that Isha Yoga Center is not only a pilgrimage center but also a center of yoga, sadhana, bhakti and self-realization, and that IYC is giving positive thinking and positive direction to many, creating an impact on their lives. While speaking about Sadhguru, Amit Shah said that Sadhguru is a mystic man on a mission and he is guiding people to live life fully, and that he believes that in order to transform the world, one must first change oneself by turning inward. He appreciated the Save Soil initiative and said that Sadhguru is indeed an asset to the nation. Shah later described the celebration at IYC incredible, unimaginable, and beyond words.
Launch of Miracle of Mind App
Then came the Miracle of Mind app launch, the most striking event in this year’s celebration. Miracle of Mind is a zero-cost app that includes a 7-minute guided meditation by Sadhguru and his curated insights in the form of audio-video clips. The progress tracking feature and rewards in the app serve to keep you motivated and with consistent practice of the meditation provided in this app, one can seek relief from stress, exercise mental control, and achieve peace and joy.
In less than 15 hours, Miracle of Mind hit 1 million downloads—a truly astonishing feat! This is phenomenal considering that even ChatGPT took 5 days, and Instagram and Facebook took 2.5 months and 10 months respectively to reach their 1 million mark.
Download App using this link.
Music & Dance
The app launch was followed by captivating performances, including Kalaripayattu, classical singing, and Bharatanatyam by Project Samskriti. The performances were filled with grace and devotion, with Sandeep Narayan leading the classical singing and Radhe Jaggi choreographing the Bharatanatyam for the students of Project Samskriti.
Mahamantra Initiation
The highlight of this year’s MahaShivRatri celebration at IYC was the Midnight Mahamantra initiation by Sadhguru. Most of us know about the importance of chanting Aum Namah Shivay, but not many of us know that it has to be chanted in a particular way and its maximum benefits can be reaped only when one is initiated into it by a guru.
A highlight of this year’s Mahashivratri program was Sadhguru personally initiating millions of seekers and devotees into the Mahamantra. Devotees not only received the initiation but also learned the correct pronunciation and rhythm for chanting. This sacred process took place around midnight, making it a deeply significant moment of the night.
Adiyogi Maha Arati & Divyadarshanam
Next was the Adiyogi Maha Arati that featured melodic vocals and an exhilarating fire dance performance. The Adiyogi Divyadarshanam followed, featuring a stunning light and sound show that brought Adiyogi’s story to life through Sadhguru’s powerful narration. This 14-minute visual spectacle, filled with grandeur and beauty, continues to captivate audiences every time.
Questions from Viewers
Later, Sadhguru answered several questions from viewers watching this celebration online. Individuals from different parts of the world asked him about various aspects of spirituality, yoga and overall wellness.
Kumbh Teertham
Around that time, Sadhguru blessed the audience by sprinkling sacred Kumbh water, allowing those who couldn’t attend the Maha Kumbh to receive the grace of the holy rivers.
Musical Performances
The musical performances of the Mahashivaratri celebration at IYC this year featured famed artists like the following:
- The Indian musical duo Ajay Atul amused the audiences with brilliant renditions of some of their popular songs like Malhar Wari and Gananayaka followed by a Gondhal.
- The India rapper, lyricist and hip-hop musician Paradox mesmerized the listeners with his songs like Bhola Mere and two fresh compositions.
- Cass Mae (real name: Cassandra Mae Spittmann) is a German singer who is blind since birth. She started as a drummer in childhood and has appeared on many TV and radio shows and recently rose to fame due to her rendition of ‘Ram Ayenge’ after the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. At the Mahashivratri event at IYC this year, millions were spellbound by her performance. She sang Shiv Kailashonke Vasi, He Bhola Shankara (Marathi) and Shiv Tandava stotra, along with some other songs.
- Audience swayed to the foot-tapping musical performance by Sandeep Narayan, Ram Miriyala, Prithvi Gandharva and Ankita Joshi on the vocals and some brilliant musicians whose performances blended beautifully with the singers.
Devotional singer Muktidan Gadhvi, Kannada singer Shubha Raghavendra, and ‘Sound of Isha’ artists like Meenal Jain, Nihar Shembekar, and Swagat Rathod delighted the audience with their captivating performances.
Shambho Chanting
This took place at the Brahma Muhurtam, and the attendees basked in the sacred and spiritual ambience created thus.
Ways in Which Millions Attended the Event
The Mahashivratri program at Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore, welcomed devotees to experience the celebration in person. For those unable to attend, the grand event was streamed live on Isha’s official website, allowing people worldwide to participate. Additionally, more than 100 TV channels, including Zee TV, ABP News, and several regional language channels, broadcasted the event, bringing the festivities to millions of homes.
This year, instead of a closing message, Sadhguru concluded the event with the powerful chant of ‘Shiva Shambho.’ Unlike an ending speech, this simple yet profound chant is known to invoke Shiva’s presence and brings stillness. Perhaps, the spiritual energy of the night was meant to linger in the minds of everyone present. By choosing this chant over a speech, Sadhguru may have intended to convey that after all the words, sound and music, what remains is silence. After experiencing everything, what is left to experience is nothingness—and Mahashivratri is the time to connect with this nothingness, which is Shiva. This magnificent night at IYC indeed turned out to be like the one Sadhguru had described earlier, a night of not just wakefulness but of awakening!