Importance of Shrawan (Sawan) month in Hindu Religion
Omkar Dattatray
The month of Shrawan -Sawan has a special importance for Hindus and is of great significance in Hindu religion .It is regarded as a holy and sacred month in Hindu calendar and Hindus perform many religious functions in this month and many observe fast and also worship Lord Shiva and seek his blessings and devotees worship the Lord of destruction –Shiva with great devotion and propitiate this God by performing special Puja .
The holy month of Shrawan usually falls in the Georgian calendar month of July-August .The month of Shrawan is wholly devoted and dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva who is pleased very easily and with simple worship and so Shiva is also called Ashutosh .The month of Shravana is very important for the entire Indian subcontinent ,as it is connected to the arrival of south west monsoons .For many Hindus the month of shravana is a month of fasting .Many Hindus fast every Monday for Shiva and/or every Tuesday for Parvati .Fasting on Tuesdays is known locally as ‘’Mangla Gauri Vrat.’’ Shravana is considered to be holy month in the Hindu calendar due to numerous festivals that are celebrated during this time .
Also special worship of Shiva and fasting is observed on Mondays. .Dashma Varata is dedicated to Dashama and is observed as per Gujarati tradition .Krishna Janamashtami marks the birth of Krishna on the eight day after full moon ,which is the 23rd day of Shravana according to amanta tradition and is celebrated with great pomp and show by Hindus across the world ,especially those of Vaishnava traditions .Raksha Bandhan also called Rakhi Purnima or simply Rakhi in many parts of India and Nepal ,is a Hindu religious festival and is celebrated on Shravana Purnima and famous Amarnath Yatra also culminates on Shravana Purnima .
For Kashmiri Pandits it is Shravan punim and they observe fast on this day and visit Shiv temples for the worship of Shiva and Parvati .In western India and parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat ,and Goa ,Shrivana Purnima day is celebrated as Narali Purnima .On this day an offering of a coconut –naryal in Gujrati ,naral in Marathi is made to the sea as a mark of respect to Varuna ,the God of sea .Nag Panchami is also celebrated in many parts of India including Jammu on the fifth day after Amavasaya of Shravana month .
The snake God Naga is worshipped on this day .In Karnataka Basava Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day after amavasya .In southern and central parts of India including Maharashtra ,Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu ,Karnataka and Odessa ,Shravana Purnima day is when many communities perform the ritual of AvaniAvittam or Upakarma .Shrivana Purnima day is also celebrated as Balram’s birth day .
In some parts of India Gamha Purnima is celebrated on shravna purnima .Besides this Kajari Purnima ,is celebrated in central parts of India such as MP .Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. In Gujarat ,Shrivana purnima day is celebrated as Pavitropana .On this day people perform grand Puja or worship of Shiva .On the Eakadshi of Shravana in Gujarat and Rajasthan Vaishnavas celebrate it as the birth of Pushtimarga ,the path of grace .Jandhyam Purnima is celebrated in AP on Shrivana Purnima .In Haryana and Punjab Hindus in addition to Rashka Bandhan celebrate Salono .
It is celebrated by priests solemnly tying amulets on peoples wrists for protection against evil .Shravani Mela is a major festival time at Deoghar in Jharkhand with thousands of saffron clad pilgrims bringing holy water around 100 Km on foot from the Ganges at Sultangunj Bihar .Shravana is also the time of the annual Kanwar Yatra ,the pilgrimage of devotees of Shiva ,known as Kanwaria make to Hindu pilgrimage places of Hardwar ,Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttrakhand to fetch holy water from Ganga.
Study of the Vedas begins in Shravana with upakarma and pauses in Magha with an utsarjana ritual resuming the following Shravana .Thus Shravana month is considered as one of the holiest months in the year according to Hindu Calendar .But why is this month called Shravan? It is believed that on purnima or full moon day or at any time during this month ,the Shravan Nakshatra or star rules the skies and hence this month derives its name from this Nakshatra .Devotees offer Patram-Pushpam-Falam toyam to Shiva linga in Shravan Maas .
The shravan month is synonymous with auspicious festivals and events .It is the best time to conduct all important religious ceremonies ,as all most all days in this month are auspicious for good beginning .Shravan maas ruling deity is Lord Shiva .In this month ,each Monday is celebrated as Shravan Somvar across all temples with the Dharanatra hanging over the Shiva Linga ,bathing it with holy water and milk throughout the day into the night .Devotees offer Bael leaves ,flowers ,holy water and milk to Lord Shiva on every Shravan Somvar .They fast until the sun goes down and the Nandadeep ,the Akhand Diya ,burns throughout .
The Samundra Manthan is very important episode as per the Puranas .The churning of the milky ocean ,that is Samundra Manthan in search of the Amrit took place during the month of Shravan .Devout devotees of Lord Shiva consider it auspicious to wear Rudraksha during the month of Shravna. Shravana the fifth month of the Hindu calendar .In India’s national civil calendar ,Shravana is the fifth month of the year ,beginning on July 23 and ending on August 22.
In Tamil calendar ,it is known as Avani and is the fifth month of solar year .In lunar religious calendars ,Shravana begins on the new moon (according to the amanta tradition) or full moon (according to the purnimanta tradition ) and is the fifth month of the year.Being the period when monsoon falls over the heated plains of India ,the season is celebrated in various texts ,such as the Sanskrit text Meghaduta by Kalidas .Many films too have been made with Savan in their title .like Aya Sawan ,Jhoom ke,Sawan Bhadon ,Solva Sawan, Sawan ko Aane Do ,Pyassa sawan .Also ,in Hindustani classical music ,many songs are themed around Radha and Krishna during the rainy season ,and also bollywood songs for example Sawan ki Ritu Aai,Sawan ka Mahina Pawan kare Sor and Rim Jim gire Saawan .During the month of Shravaa ,Hindu community in the regions of Goa ,Maharashtra and Karnataka practice a vegetarian diet .
In short all the above shows that the month of Shravan has got a special importance for Hindus across the country and abroad and it is considered as the holy month in the Hindu Calendar.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist)
