Sawan Somwar 2026: All Somvar Vrat Dates (Purnimanta & Amanta) + Rules

Sawan (Shravan) 2026 runs from 30 July to 28 August in North India, which follows the Purnimanta calendar, and from 13 August to 11 September in Maharashtra, Gujarat and South India, which follow the Amanta calendar. The Sawan Somwar Vrat — the Monday fast for Lord Shiva — falls on 3, 10, 17 and 24 August for North India, and on 17, 24, 31 August and 7 September for Amanta states. Both calendars have four Sawan Mondays in 2026. Every date in this guide is verified against Drik Panchang for India (IST).

When does Sawan 2026 start and end?

Sawan is the holiest month of the Hindu year for devotees of Lord Shiva, and it does not begin on the same day everywhere. The reason is the calendar. North Indian states use the Purnimanta system, in which the lunar month ends on the full moon (Purnima). The states of western and southern India use the Amanta system, in which the month ends on the new moon (Amavasya). Because of this, Shravan begins about fifteen days earlier in the north than in the south — even though both regions are observing the very same month.

In 2026, North India's Sawan opens on Thursday, 30 July and closes on Friday, 28 August, the day of Shravana Purnima (which is also Raksha Bandhan). The Amanta Sawan opens later, on Thursday, 13 August, and closes on Friday, 11 September. Nepal and a few parts of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh follow a solar reckoning, where Shravan begins on 16 July 2026.

What are the Sawan Somwar vrat dates in 2026?

Every Monday that falls within Shravan is a Sawan Somwar, the most auspicious day of the week to worship Shiva. Devotees keep a fast, perform abhishek of the Shiva Linga, and offer bilva (bel) leaves. Because the month itself begins on different dates, the Monday dates differ between the two calendars — so find the table that matches your region.

Notice that 17 and 24 August are Sawan Somwars in both calendars — these two Mondays are shared, which makes them especially busy at Shiva temples nationwide. There is also a beautiful overlap in 2026: the third North-Indian Somwar, Monday 17 August, is also Nag Panchami, the day Naga deities are honoured. A single morning at the temple covers both.

Which calendar applies to you — Purnimanta or Amanta?

If you are unsure which set of dates to follow, go by your home state. The split is regional and long-settled:

• Purnimanta (North India): Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Jharkhand — Sawan from 30 July.
• Amanta (West & South): Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu — Sawan from 13 August.
• Solar (Nepal and parts of Uttarakhand/HP): Sawan from 16 July, with Mondays on 20 and 27 July, then 3 and 10 August.

Families that have moved between regions usually keep the tradition of their ancestral home, but either reckoning is correct — the devotion, not the date, is what matters.

What is Solah Somwar and when does it begin in 2026?

Solah Somwar is the vow of sixteen consecutive Mondays dedicated to Lord Shiva, traditionally begun in Sawan. Unmarried women keep it for a good marriage, married women for their husband's long life, and any devotee for a heartfelt wish. The count starts on the first Sawan Somwar and continues for sixteen weeks — so in North India it begins on Monday, 3 August 2026, and in Amanta states on Monday, 17 August 2026. If you miss a Monday by accident, add one extra Monday at the end so the count of sixteen stays unbroken.

Sawan Somwar vrat rules: what to eat and what to avoid

The Sawan Somwar fast is gentle but disciplined. Most devotees take a single phalahar (fruit-based) meal in the day, usually before sunset, and keep only sattvik food. The key rule that trips people up is salt: only sendha namak (rock salt) is allowed, never ordinary iodised or table salt.

Beyond food, the day is built around a clear sankalpa (resolve). Devotees bathe early, wear clean white or saffron clothes, and keep the mind turned toward Shiva. White is the colour of the day — white flowers, white sweets, and a calm, simple routine.

How to perform Sawan Somwar puja (vidhi)

The home or temple puja follows a simple Shaiva order. You do not need elaborate materials — water, bilva leaves and sincerity are enough.

1. Wake before sunrise, bathe, and wear clean white or saffron clothes. Purify the puja space with a little Ganga jal.
2. Perform abhishek of the Shiva Linga with pure water, then milk, then panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar), finishing again with water.
3. Offer bilva (bel) leaves one at a time with Om Namah Shivaya, along with white flowers, datura, sandalwood paste and a tilak of bhasma (sacred ash).
4. Light a ghee diya and incense, then recite the Sawan Somwar or Solah Somwar katha.
5. Chant the Panchakshari mantra (Om Namah Shivaya) and the Mahamrityunjaya mantra, 108 times where possible.
6. Take your single phalahar meal, and offer kheer as bhog before sharing it as prasad.

Other key vrat days in Sawan 2026

Mondays belong to Shiva, but Sawan is full of other sacred days. Tuesdays are kept by married women as Mangala Gauri Vrat for Goddess Parvati, and several major festivals fall within the month.

Why is Sawan dedicated to Lord Shiva?

The month's link to Shiva comes from the Samudra Manthan, the churning of the cosmic ocean. When the deadly halahala poison rose up and threatened all creation, Shiva drank it to save the world, holding it in his throat — which turned blue, earning him the name Neelkanth. The churning is said to have happened in Shravan, and so devotees pour water and milk over the Shiva Linga through the month to cool and thank him. The monsoon greenery, the abundance of bel leaves, and the cool rain-washed mornings all make Sawan the natural season for Shiva bhakti — expressed at its grandest in the Kanwar Yatra, when devotees carry holy water on foot to offer at Shiva temples.

Frequently asked questions

How many Sawan Somwar are there in 2026?

There are four Sawan Somwars in 2026 in both the Purnimanta and Amanta calendars. In North India they fall on 3, 10, 17 and 24 August; in Amanta states on 17, 24, 31 August and 7 September.

Can I start Solah Somwar from any Monday?

Traditionally Solah Somwar begins on the first Monday of Sawan — 3 August 2026 in North India, or 17 August in Amanta states — and runs for sixteen unbroken Mondays. You may begin on another Monday if needed, but starting in Sawan is considered the most auspicious. Keep the same sankalpa each week.

What can I eat during a Sawan Somwar fast?

Keep to sattvik phalahar food: fruits, milk and dairy, sabudana, kuttu and singhara flour, boiled potato, dry fruits and makhana — all seasoned only with sendha namak (rock salt). Avoid grains, onion, garlic, meat, eggs, alcohol and ordinary salt. Most devotees take one meal in the day.

Is Sawan Somwar on a different date in Gujarat and Maharashtra?

Yes. Gujarat, Maharashtra and the southern states follow the Amanta calendar, so their Sawan begins on 13 August 2026 and their Mondays fall on 17, 24, 31 August and 7 September — about two weeks later than North India's.

However and wherever you keep it, Sawan is a season of cooling, giving and devotion. Many families mark it with seva — and caring for cows, beloved of Lord Shiva's Nandi, is a gentle way to carry the month's spirit beyond the fast.