Sawan 2021 Start & End Date (Shravan Maas)
North India (Purnimanta): Sunday, 25 July 2021 – Sunday, 22 August 2021
Amanta regions: Monday, 9 August 2021 – Tuesday, 7 September 2021
The holiest month for Shiva — the month of the Sawan Somwar vrat, kanwar yatra and Rudrabhishek.
Sawan 2021 at a Glance
- Sawan Somwar
- 4 · first Mon, 26 Jul
- Sawan Shivratri
- Sat, 7 Aug
- Purnima
- Sun, 22 Aug
- Amavasya
- Sun, 8 Aug
- Sawan Somwar
- 5 · first Mon, 9 Aug
- Sawan Shivratri
- Mon, 6 Sept
- Purnima
- Sun, 22 Aug
- Amavasya
- Tue, 7 Sept
The significance of Sawan — Lord Shiva
Shravan is the month of Shiva. It falls at the height of the monsoon, when the earth is green and the samudra manthan is remembered — Shiva drank the halahala poison in this season to save creation, and the month's water-offerings cool that burning throat. Every Monday is kept as a Sawan Somwar fast, and pilgrims carry Ganga water on foot (the kanwar yatra) to pour over the lingam.
Rituals of Sawan
- Sawan Somwar vrat every Monday
- Rudrabhishek and jalabhishek of the Shiva lingam
- The kanwar yatra — carrying Ganga water on foot
- Offering bel-patra, dhatura and white flowers
- Reciting the Shiva Chalisa and Mahamrityunjaya mantra
- Mangala Gauri vrat on Tuesdays for married women
Key days in Sawan 2021
Vrat and tithi dates follow whichever month window your calendar uses, so both systems are listed separately below.
North India · Purnimanta
Sun, 25 Jul – Sun, 22 Aug · 29 days
Sawan Somwar Vrat · 4
Amanta regions
Mon, 9 Aug – Tue, 7 Sept · 30 days
Sawan Somwar Vrat · 5
Festivals in Sawan 2021
Within the Purnimanta window (Sun, 25 Jul – Sun, 22 Aug). Festivals are fixed by tithi, so each falls on the same civil day in both systems.
Also inside Amanta Sawan (Mon, 9 Aug – Tue, 7 Sept)
Monthly vrats 2021
Observances through Sawan
- Sawan Somwar Vrat
- The Mondays of the month, kept for Shiva. The best known observance of Sawan and the reason the month is counted in Mondays rather than days.
- Mangla Gauri Vrat
- The Tuesdays of the month, kept for Parvati as Mangla Gauri — traditionally by married women for the wellbeing of the family, and by unmarried women seeking a good match.
- Kanwar Yatra
- Pilgrims (kanwariyas) carry Ganga water on foot, most visibly from Haridwar, Gaumukh and Sultanganj, to offer at a Shiva temple on Sawan Shivratri. Largest across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Haryana and Delhi.
- Sawan Shivratri
- The Masik Shivaratri of this month, on the Krishna Chaturdashi. Night worship and jalabhishek are traditional, and it is the day most Kanwar Yatra offerings are made.
Sawan 2021 — Frequently Asked Questions
When does Shravan Maas 2021 start?
In North India (Purnimanta calendar) Sawan runs from Sunday, 25 July 2021 to Sunday, 22 August 2021. In Amanta-calendar regions it runs Monday, 9 August 2021 to Tuesday, 7 September 2021.
Why do Sawan dates differ in North and South India?
Because the two regions follow different lunar calendars. In the Purnimanta calendar (North India) a month ends on the Purnima, so it starts about 15 days earlier than in Amanta. In the Amanta calendar (Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) the month runs new-moon to new-moon.
Which deity is Sawan 2021 dedicated to?
Shravan is the month of Shiva. It falls at the height of the monsoon, when the earth is green and the samudra manthan is remembered — Shiva drank the halahala poison in this season to save creation, and the month's water-offerings cool that burning throat. Every Monday is kept as a Sawan Somwar fast, and pilgrims carry Ganga water on foot (the kanwar yatra) to pour over the lingam.
When is Sawan Shivratri 2021?
Sawan Shivratri 2021 — the Masik Shivaratri of Shravan Maas, observed on the Krishna Chaturdashi — falls on Saturday, 7 August 2021 in North India (Purnimanta). In Amanta regions it falls on Monday, 6 September 2021. Night worship and jalabhishek of the Shiva lingam are traditional on this day.
How many Sawan Somwars are there in 2021?
In North India (Purnimanta) Sawan 2021 has 4 Somwars — Monday, 26 July 2021, Monday, 2 August 2021, Monday, 9 August 2021, Monday, 16 August 2021. Amanta regions run the month on different dates, so there the count is 5: Monday, 9 August 2021, Monday, 16 August 2021, Monday, 23 August 2021, Monday, 30 August 2021, Monday, 6 September 2021.
When is the first Sawan Somwar in 2021?
The first Sawan Somwar in North India falls on Monday, 26 July 2021. In Amanta-calendar regions the first one falls on Monday, 9 August 2021.
When does Sawan 2021 end?
In North India (Purnimanta) Sawan ends on Sunday, 22 August 2021, on the Purnima. In Amanta regions it ends on Tuesday, 7 September 2021, on the Amavasya.
Are Sawan and Shravan Maas the same month?
Yes. Shravan Maas is the Sanskrit name of this lunar month and Sawan is the everyday Hindi form of the same word. They refer to the same period — different names, not different dates.
What is observed during the Sawan Somwar vrat?
The vrat is resolved (sankalp) on the morning of the Monday itself, after bathing and before the first offering — many say it aloud in front of the lingam or a picture of Shiva. Commonly taken: fruit, milk, curd, sabudana, singhara or kuttu flour, potatoes, rock salt (sendha namak), nuts and water.
Is Sawan 2021 an Adhik Maas?
No. Sawan 2021 is a normal 29-day month.