Sawan (Shravan) 2026: Start Date, Sawan Somwar Dates, Shiv Puja Vidhi & Significance

Sawan (Shravan) is the holiest month of the year for devotees of Lord Shiva. Through this month, worshippers offer jalabhishek on the Shivling, observe the Sawan Somwar (Monday) vrat, and chant the praises of Mahadeva. Here is your complete guide to Sawan 2026.

Sawan 2026: start & end dates

Sawan Somwar 2026 dates

The Monday (Somwar) fast is the heart of Sawan. In North India there are four Sawan Somwars in 2026:

• First Sawan Somwar — Monday, 3 August 2026
• Second Sawan Somwar — Monday, 10 August 2026
• Third Sawan Somwar — Monday, 17 August 2026 (also Nag Panchami)
• Fourth Sawan Somwar — Monday, 24 August 2026

In the Amanta regions the Shravan Mondays fall on 17, 24, 31 August and 7 September 2026.

Significance of Sawan

It is believed that during Samudra Manthan, Lord Shiva drank the deadly halahala poison to save creation, and the month of Shravan is when the Devas cooled him with the waters of the Ganga. Worshipping Shiva in Sawan is said to fulfil wishes, remove obstacles, and bless devotees with health, harmony and a good life partner — which is why unmarried girls especially keep the Somwar vrat.

Shiv puja vidhi in Sawan

• Bathe early and offer jalabhishek (water), and where possible milk, on the Shivling.
• Offer bel-patra, dhatura, white flowers, chandan and akshat to Lord Shiva.
• Light a diya and incense, and chant Om Namah Shivaya and the Mahamrityunjaya mantra.
• On Mondays, keep the Sawan Somwar fast and eat a single sattvic meal; avoid onion, garlic and non-veg through the month.
• Read or listen to the Shiv katha and perform the aarti in the evening.

Shiv mantras for Sawan

ॐ नमः शिवाय॥

ॐ त्र्यम्बकं यजामहे सुगन्धिं पुष्टिवर्धनम्।
उर्वारुकमिव बन्धनान् मृत्योर्मुक्षीय मामृतात्॥

FAQs

When does Sawan 2026 start?
30 July 2026 in North India (Purnimanta) and 13 August 2026 in South/West India (Amanta).

How many Sawan Somwar in 2026?
Four, in North India: 3, 10, 17 and 24 August 2026.

Har Har Mahadev — may Lord Shiva’s grace fill your Sawan. For a personalised auspicious muhurat, remedies or a reading based on your own birth chart, talk to an astrologer on Astro Logics, explore our spiritual library of aartis, chalisas and mantras, or find puja essentials in the divine store.

Note: This article is based on the Vedic Panchang, traditional beliefs and astrological calculations. Dates and muhurat timings follow the standard North-India panchang and can vary by city and calendar tradition (Purnimanta / Amanta) — please confirm with your local panchang or a learned pandit before observing the vrat.