The month of Shravana also widely known as Sawan is considered to be auspicious by every Hindu as it attaches significance to worship of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is also the first month of the Chaturmas period which usually consists of four months as per the Hindu calendar- Shravan, Bhadrapada, Ashwin, and Kartik.
Hindus believe that Goddess Parvati had conducted hard penance and had performed strict fasting for the entire Sawan month to marry Lord Shiva. Pleased and satisfied by Goddess Parvati’s devotion and dedication, Lord Shiva was obliged to fulfill her wish.
The month of Sawan this year is said to have begun on July 4 with its first Monday falling on July 10. However, the month of Sawan is believed to last for 59 days consisting of 8 Shravana Mondays and 9 Tuesdays. People following the Shravan rituals usually fast every Monday and visit the temple of Lord Shiva seeking his blessings for the holy month. Some Hindu women meanwhile conduct fasts also on Tuesdays to extend their worship to Goddess Parvati, seeking long life for their respective husbands and their families.
However, this year, Hindus will have to conduct fasts for 8 Shravana Mondays and 9 following Tuesdays due to the addition of an extra month in the Hindu calendar, known as the Adhik maas (additional month). According to the reports, Adhik maas occurs after every three years but this year it has come along with the month of Shravana which is a rare phenomenon and it occurs only once after every 19 years.
The addition of Adhik Maas explained
As per the Hindu panchang (calendar), Adhik maas is nothing but the difference in the period between the Solar year and the Lunar year. The Solar year consists of 365 days, 15 Ghatis, 31 Pals, and 30 Vipals whereas the Lunar year consists of 354 days, 22 Ghatis, 1 Pal, and 23 Vipals. The astrological calculator suggests that the Ghati-Pal-Vipal is the unit of measuring time just like it is the Hour-Minute-Second for the English clock.
Generally, the day as per the English rituals starts at midnight, but it starts as the sun rises in the Hindu scriptures. Similarly, a day in the English calendar is made up of 24 hours but it is made up of 60 Ghatis as per the Hindu calendars. The combination of hour-minute-second is known usually known as time but the same given in Ghati-Pal-Vipal is called ‘Ishta-kaal’.
So, considering the calculations, there appears a difference of 10 days, 53 Ghatis, 30 Pals, and 7 Vipals every year in the years of both the Sun and Moon (solar year and lunar year). And further combining these days three times makes an automatic addition of one month to the lunar year after every 3 years. This happens to ensure that the difference between the solar year and the lunar year is balanced.
Two different Shravana months followed by Hindus
The Adhik maas consists of 33 days and this year it has come along the Shravana month, extending the number of Mondays to 8. The northern states of India including Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh follow the Purnimanta Hindu calendar which marks the beginning of Shravana from July 4 to August 31. However, Hindus living in the states like Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu follow the Amavasya Lunar calendar according to which the actual month of Shravan begins on August 18 and ends on September 15.
Significance of Shravan month
It is believed that to get married to Lord Shiva, Maa Parvati underwent arduous penance and fasted for the full month of Shravan. Lord Shiva consented and granted her request after being pleased with her commitment and devotion.
The first month, Shravan of the four months known as Chaturmas- Shravan, Bhadrapada, Ashwin, and Kartik is dedicated to devotion and worship of the Divine power. According to the scriptures, Lord Shiva is in charge of the entire creation during this time while Lord Vishnu enters a state of deep meditation known as Yoga Nidra on the Adi Shesha, a seven-headed serpent, beneath the cosmic ocean (Kshirasagara).
This can be interpreted as the nurturing and preservation aspect of life (ruled by Lord Vishnu) stopping to make way for devastation (regulated by Lord Shiva). Finally, the old requires to make room for the young, continuing the eternal cycle of creation, nurture, and destruction. During this time, devotees practice a strict sattvic lifestyle and engage in acts of devotion and worship to ask the Divine for blessings and protection.
Each day of the given month carries a spiritual significance. The Mondays are dedicated to Lord Shiva while the Tuesdays are dedicated to Goddess Parvati. Hindu women fast on Tuesdays to seek blessings for a long and healthy life for their respective husbands and familes. Wednesdays are dedicated to Lord Vitthal, which is the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Thursdays hold significance for Gurus and Fridays for Goddess Laxmi or Tulsi. Saturdays and Sundays meanwhile are dedicated to the worship of Lord Shani (Saturn) and the Sun God respectively.
What devotees do in Shravan Maas
Shiva devotees consider Shravan maas as the holiest and month of all. Hence, Hindus look forward to the month for starting any huge venture of their life if any. They further worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati and also conduct rigorous fasts and ‘Abhisheks’. During the ‘Abhishek’, Hindus seek to cleanse all their sins by offering Panchamrut to Lord Shiva which includes a mixture of honey, milk, ghee, sugar, and curd. The devotees also offer Bilva leaves to Lord Shiva and seek blessings for a healthy and pleasant life.
The devotees are also expected to chant Gayatri Mantra, Mahamrutyunjay Matra or the Rudra Gayatri Mantra for 108 times during the day. They are also expected to follow the Sattvic way of life which excludes consumption of non vegetarian food, alcohol and tobacco.
Festivals usually celebrated in the month of Shravan
The month of Shravan brings along with it calmness in the weather and happiness to the minds of Hindus as several festivals tend to fall in this one month. The festivals celebrated this month include Hariyali Teej, Nag Panchmi, Varalakshmi Vratam, Rakshabandhan, and Krishna Janmashtmi.
Hariyali Teej is the festival in which Hindu women and girls conduct fastings, and pray to Lord Shiva for the long life of their husbands and would-be husbands respectively. Teej is a festival usually associated with weddings in the Hindu culture.
Nag panchmi is the day when snakes or serpents are worshiped according to the Vedic culture. They are offered milk. The devotees seek blessings for the welfare of their families and seek protection from probable dangers.
Krisna Janmasthmi on the other hand is celebrated all over the country to mark the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of lord Vishnu. The devotees engage in bhajans and ras celebrations at midnight and offer Lord Krishna butter and panjeri (sweet believed to be loved by Lord Krishna). The devotees also conduct a fast for the entire day and break it only on the next day after the Rohini Nakshatra period is over.
