Introduction
Shravan is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar and the holiest stretch of the year for the worship of Lord Shiva. In North India it is called Sawan. The month takes its name from the Shravana nakshatra, in which its full moon usually falls. Arriving with the monsoon, it is a month of renewal in nature — and the peak of Shiva bhakti in the devotional year.
Through the whole month, Shiva temples ring with jalabhishek, rudrabhishek, offerings of bilva leaves and the unbroken chanting of Om Namah Shivaya. Kashi Vishwanath, Baidyanath Dham, Mahakaleshwar, Somnath, Trimbakeshwar and every other Jyotirlinga hold special observances all month.
When it falls
Shravan falls in July–August in the Gregorian calendar. Its start date differs by regional almanac:
- Purnimanta calendar (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand) — Shravan begins the day after Ashadha Purnima.
- Amanta calendar (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu) — Shravan begins the day after the new moon, roughly fifteen days later.
In both traditions the month ends on Shravan Purnima, the day of Raksha Bandhan and the Shravani Upakarma.
Scriptural significance
The glory of Shravan is tied to the churning of the ocean, the Samudra Manthan. The first thing to surface was the halahala poison, whose heat threatened all creation. To save the worlds, Shiva drank it himself. Goddess Parvati held his throat so the poison could go no further — it stayed there, and Shiva became Neelkanth, the blue-throated one.
To cool the burning, the devas poured water over him without pause. Tradition places this event in Shravan, which is why offering water, milk and Ganga jal on the Shivling is held to be most fruitful in this month. The Kanwar Yatra extends the same gesture: devotees carry Ganga water from Gangotri, Gaumukh, Haridwar or Sultanganj in a kanwar and walk barefoot to pour it over the Shivling at their chosen temple.
Shravan Somvar Vrat
Monday belongs to Shiva, and the Mondays of Shravan are considered the most meritorious of all.
- Devotees bathe at dawn and perform panchamrit abhishek on the Shivling with water, milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar.
- Bilva patra (the three-lobed bel leaf), dhatura, aak flowers, white flowers and bhasma are offered. Tulsi and the ketaki flower are traditionally not offered on a Shivling.
- The fast is kept through the day and broken after the evening pradosh worship with a single sattvic meal or fruit.
- The Solah Somvar Vrat — sixteen consecutive Monday fasts — is usually begun on the first Monday of Shravan.
Mangala Gauri Vrat
On every Tuesday of Shravan, married women observe the fast of Mangala Gauri, a form of Goddess Parvati. It is kept for a long and happy married life and the wellbeing of children. The worship traditionally offers sixteen of each item — sixteen garlands, sixteen laddus, sixteen articles of suhag.
How to observe
- Bathe in the brahma muhurta, wear clean clothes and take the sankalp — the resolve — for the fast.
- Perform jalabhishek on the Shivling, then the panchamrit abhishek, and finish with clean water again.
- Offer bilva leaves, white flowers, sandalwood paste, akshat, incense and a lamp.
- Perform Rudrabhishek with the recitation of Sri Rudram (Namakam–Chamakam), or read the Shiv Chalisa and Rudrashtakam.
- Chant the five-syllable mantra Om Namah Shivaya — at least one mala of 108 repetitions.
- Conclude with the aarti, distribute prasad, and give food or alms as your means allow.
Major observances within the month
- Hariyali Amavasya — the new moon of Shravan; a day for planting trees and offering tarpan to the ancestors.
- Hariyali Teej — Shravan Shukla Tritiya; the celebration of Shiva and Parvati’s union.
- Nag Panchami — Shravan Shukla Panchami; worship of the serpent deities.
- Shravana Putrada Ekadashi — Shravan Shukla Ekadashi, also called Pavitra Ekadashi.
- Sawan Shivratri — Shravan Krishna Chaturdashi; the Shivratri of Sawan and the climax of the Kanwar Yatra.
- Raksha Bandhan and Shravani Upakarma — Shravan Purnima; the festival of siblings, and the day the sacred thread is renewed.
Diet and discipline
Shravan is a monsoon month, when digestion naturally weakens. Tradition therefore prescribes avoiding meat, alcohol, onion and garlic, and leafy green vegetables through the month. Sattvic food, a disciplined routine, daily japa and listening to the stories of Shiva — this is the heart of the Shravan sadhana.
Om Namah Shivaya
