About Sawan Somvar
Sawan Somvar is the name for every Monday of Shravana, the monsoon month that Shiva devotees give to fasting, temple visits and pouring water on the Shivling. In 2027 the North Indian Sawan begins on Monday, 19 July 2027 and runs to the full moon of Raksha Bandhan. Maharashtra, Gujarat and the South count the month from the new moon, so their Shravan Mondays start about two weeks later.
Sawan is the Hindi name of Shravana, the fifth month of the Hindu lunar year, which arrives with the monsoon in July and August. The whole month belongs to Shiva, and its Mondays, Somvar, belong to him most of all. Every Monday of Sawan, devotees fast until evening, go to a Shiva temple and pour water or milk on the Shivling.
Why your friend in Pune has different dates
Two calendars divide the lunar month differently, and Sawan is where most people notice it.
| Calendar | Where | When Sawan runs |
|---|---|---|
| Purnimanta (month ends at full moon) | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh | From the day after Guru Purnima to Raksha Bandhan |
| Amanta (month ends at new moon) | Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu | From the day after the new moon, about two weeks later, to the next new moon |
| Solar Shravan | Nepal and parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh | From the sun's entry into Cancer, around 16 or 17 July |
The two lunar systems share the bright half of the month, so roughly half the Mondays are the same. The North's first two Mondays usually fall in what Maharashtra still calls Ashadha, and Maharashtra's last one or two fall after North India has moved on to Bhadrapada. In some years Sawan has five Mondays, in others four. A Sawan that runs into an extra lunar month, as in 2023, can have eight.
Drik Panchang lists the Mondays for both systems each year. Check the one your family follows rather than the first list you find.
How the Monday fast is kept
There is no single rule, and households set their own. The common pattern looks like this.
- Early bathMany devotees bathe before sunrise and wear clean clothes.
- AbhishekAt home or at a temple, water, milk or Ganga water is poured slowly over the Shivling, with bel leaves offered on top and "Om Namah Shivaya" repeated.
- The fastSome take only water or fruit until evening. Others eat one sattvik meal without grain, onion or garlic. Many families give up meat and alcohol for the whole month.
- Evening pujaA lamp, aarti and the Sawan Somvar vrat katha before the fast is broken.
Some people go further. The Solah Somvar vrat is a vow of sixteen consecutive Mondays that many begin on the first Monday of Sawan, usually kept for one particular wish. Tuesdays in Sawan carry their own fast, the Mangala Gauri vrat to Parvati.
The kanwar, Kashi and Deoghar
The month's best-known sight is the Kanwar Yatra. Kanwariyas, usually in saffron, walk with a kanwar: a bamboo pole across the shoulder with a pot of Ganga water hanging from each end. They fill the pots at Haridwar, Gaumukh or Gangotri in Uttarakhand, or at Sultanganj in Bihar, and walk home to pour the water on a Shivling. Destinations include Pura Mahadev in Baghpat, Augharnath in Meerut, Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi and Baidyanath in Deoghar.
The numbers are large. Estimates for the Haridwar pilgrimage ran to about three crore people in both 2023 and 2024, and traffic on the Delhi-Haridwar highway is diverted during the yatra. The Sultanganj to Deoghar route is about 105 km, walked barefoot to chants of "Bol Bam", and ends at Baidyanath, one of the twelve jyotirlingas. Jharkhand runs a month-long Shravani Mela in Deoghar to manage the crowds.
Kanwariyas usually aim to reach their temple by Sawan Shivratri, the fourteenth night of the dark half of the month and a smaller echo of Maha Shivaratri in Phalgun. If you live along a kanwar route, expect closed lanes and roadside camps, and leave room for walkers at night.
Sawan beyond Mondays
The month carries several other festivals. In the North, Hariyali Teej on the third day of the bright half marks the reunion of Shiva and Parvati. Nag Panchami follows two days later, and the month ends with Raksha Bandhan on the full moon.
Do
- Send wishes on Monday morning, before the temple visit, and mention which Monday it is.
- If a colleague is fasting, move lunch meetings and keep snacks out of the room.
- Ask before offering food at an office event in Sawan; many people skip meat and eggs all month.
Avoid
- Don't tease someone about giving up meat for a month. It is a vow, not a diet.
- Don't assume your Marathi or Gujarati friend's Shravan has started just because yours has.
Pranam, Maa and Papa. First Sawan Somvar today. May Bholenath keep you healthy, and please don't skip your medicines during the fast.
Har Har Mahadev. Wishing you an easy fast today and a good meal after the evening aarti.
Bol Bam. Walk safe, rest well at night, and may Mahadev accept every drop you carry.
Wishing you a peaceful Sawan Somvar. If you're fasting, let's move our lunch call to the afternoon.
Sixteen Mondays starting today. May Shiva and Parvati give you the patience to finish and the wish you are praying for.
Missing the Monday queue at our Shiv mandir. Pour a lota of water for me too. Om Namah Shivaya.
Sawan Somvar ki hardik shubhkamnayein. Bholenath aapki har manokamna poori karein. (Warm Sawan Somvar wishes. May Shiva fulfil your every wish.)
सावन सोमवार की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं। हर हर महादेव।
How to wish someone on Sawan Somvar
A good Sawan Somvar wish is short and devotional, and it is usually sent on a Monday morning. Name the Monday if it matters ("first Sawan Somvar"), wish a fasting friend strength until the evening meal, and wish a kanwariya a safe road. "Har Har Mahadev" and "Om Namah Shivaya" are the usual sign-offs. Keep it about Shiva, the rain and the fast, not food or parties.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi.
When is Sawan Somvar in each year?
Sawan Somvar is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 11 days earlier than in 2026. Sawan Somvar runs 30 days.
- 2026
- 2027
- 2028
Frequently asked questions
How many Mondays are there in Sawan?
Sawan usually has four or five Mondays, depending on where the month begins and ends, and the North Indian and Maharashtrian counts differ because they start the month two weeks apart. In years when an extra lunar month falls in Shravana, the North Indian count can reach eight.
Why are Sawan Mondays and Maharashtra's Shravan Mondays on different dates?
North India uses the purnimanta calendar, where Sawan begins after the Ashadha full moon, while Maharashtra, Gujarat and the South use the amanta calendar, where Shravan begins after the new moon about two weeks later. The two overlap for the bright half of the month, so only some Mondays match.
What can you eat during the Sawan Somvar fast?
During the Sawan Somvar fast many people eat fruit, milk, curd, sabudana, singhara or kuttu flour and potatoes, and avoid grains, onion and garlic until the evening puja. Others take one simple meal after the evening aarti. Families set their own rules, so there is no single correct version.
What is the Solah Somvar vrat?
Solah Somvar is a vow to fast on sixteen consecutive Mondays in honour of Shiva, and many people begin it on the first Monday of Sawan. People usually keep it for one particular wish, such as a good marriage, a child or a family member's recovery.
When is Sawan Shivratri?
Sawan Shivratri falls on the fourteenth day of the dark half of Sawan, about two weeks into the North Indian month. Kanwariyas time their walk to pour Ganga water on the Shivling on this night.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .