Sawan Somwar 2026श्रावण सोमवार
The first Sawan Somwar of 2026 is Monday, August 3, 2026. The Neelkanth katha, jalabhishek, bel patra, the Solah Somwar vrat and the kanwar yatra.
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12:54The story of Sawan Somwar
Shravana is the month Shiva keeps closest. When the ocean of milk was churned and the halahala poison rose before the amrita, it was Shiva who drank it so the worlds would not burn; Parvati held his throat so it could go no further, and he became Neelkanth, the blue-throated one. The devas poured Ganga water over him to cool the burning, and that pouring is still the whole of the month: every jalabhishek in Sawan repeats it.
Parvati also won him in this month, keeping her tapasya through it, which is why unmarried girls keep the Solah Somwar vrat for a husband like Shiva and married women for the one they have. The Mondays of Shravana are the month’s centre: Somwar is Shiva’s own weekday, and a Monday inside his own month is held to carry both. Along the roads through the month walk the kanwariyas, barefoot, carrying Ganga water on a shoulder pole from Haridwar, Gaumukh or Sultanganj to their own Shiva temple, never setting the pot on the ground.
How Sawan Somwar is celebrated
| The vrat | a Monday fast through the month, taken as fruit or one sattvik meal, broken after the evening puja. |
| Jalabhishek | the Shivling is bathed with water, then milk, curd, honey, ghee and sugar, and finally water again. |
| Bel patra | three-leafed bel, dhatura, bhang leaves and white flowers are offered; tulsi and haldi are not. |
| Japa and path | Om Namah Shivaya, the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra, the Shiv Chalisa and the Rudrabhishek where a temple performs it. |
The North follows the Purnimanta calendar, so Sawan begins about a fortnight earlier there than in Gujarat, Maharashtra and the South, which follow Amanta; the kanwar yatra fills the roads of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana; and the twelve jyotirlingas, Kashi Vishwanath and Baidyanath above all, see their heaviest month of the year.
Sawan Somwar checklist: what to arrange in advance
The non-perishable samagri you can order ahead of the day. Each link opens an Amazon search for that item in your own country’s store.
Fresh items, flowers, fruit, sweets and leaves, are best bought from your local market on the day.
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Frequently asked questions
When do the Sawan Somwar vrats begin in 2026?
The first Shravana Monday is Monday, August 3, 2026. Shravan Mondays: Aug 3, 10, 17, 24.
Why is Shravana dear to Shiva?
He drank the halahala poison in this month and was cooled with Ganga water, and Parvati completed the tapasya that won him in it. Both kathas are answered by the same act: pouring water over the Shivling.
What is the Solah Somwar vrat?
A vow of sixteen consecutive Mondays, most often begun in Shravana, kept by unmarried girls for a good husband and by others for a wish; it closes with an udyapan after the sixteenth.
Why do Sawan dates differ between states?
The North reckons months Purnimanta, ending at the full moon, while Gujarat, Maharashtra and the South reckon Amanta, ending at the new moon. The same Shravana therefore begins about fifteen days apart.
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Dates are verified against authoritative Panchang sources (Drik Panchang, New Delhi). Traditions vary by family and region; for muhurat and puja vidhi please also consult your family panditji.