Shravan Month 2026: Dates, Significance and Shravan Somvar Vrat
Shravan begins 30 July 2026 in North India — the month of Shiva worship, Kanwar Yatra and the Shravan Somvar fast. Here is what the month means and how to observe it.
Shravan — the month most closely tied to the worship of Lord Shiva — begins on 30 July 2026 and runs through 28 August 2026 for most of North India (Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and others that follow the Purnimanta calendar, where the month ends on the full moon).
If you're in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu or Goa, your regional Amavasyant calendar (month ending on the new moon) places Shravan slightly later — from 13 August to 11 September 2026. Same month, different regional convention, so it's worth checking which calendar your local temple and family follow before planning fasts or ceremonies.
Why Shravan matters
Shravan is considered the most spiritually significant month of the Hindu calendar for Shiva devotees. Mythology places it as the month during which Lord Shiva consumed the poison (halahala) churned from the ocean during Samudra Manthan — devotees observe fasts and offer water (jal abhishek) through the month as an act of gratitude and protection-seeking.
Shravan Somvar — the Monday fast
Every Monday within Shravan is a Shravan Somvar — considered especially powerful for Shiva worship. The typical observance:
- A partial or full-day fast (many keep it fruit/milk-only, some observe a strict water-only fast).
- Visiting a Shiva temple for jal abhishek — offering water, milk or Ganga jal to the Shivling.
- Chanting the Mahamrityunjaya mantra or "Om Namah Shivaya."
- Unmarried devotees, particularly women, often keep this vrat seeking a favourable marriage; married devotees keep it for their spouse's wellbeing.
Kanwar Yatra
Shravan is also when the Kanwar Yatra takes place — devotees (Kanwariyas) travel on foot to collect Ganga water from sites like Haridwar and Gaumukh, carrying it back in decorated kanwars to offer at their local Shiva temple, typically timed for Shivratri or the final Shravan Somvar.
Whether you observe the full vrat or simply visit a temple on the Mondays ahead, Shravan is traditionally seen as a favourable stretch for starting anything that calls for discipline and devotion.