Sawan First Somwar 2026 Date: Check all four Shrawan Somwar dates and how to perform vrat

Shivbhakts, mark your calendars. The first Somwar of Sawan 2026 falls on August 3, and going by the crowd outside Shiva temples every year on this day, it's safe to say this Monday is going to be a big one. The holy month of Shravan started on Thursday, July 30, 2026, and for the next four weeks, millions across North India will be fasting, chanting "Om Namah Shivaya," and lining up before sunrise with lotas of Ganga jal.

If you've never kept a Sawan Somwar Vrat before, or you just want to get the timing and rituals right this year, here's everything you need to know.

When Is The First Sawan Somwar In 2026?

The Krishna Paksha Pratipada tithi begins at 8:05 pm on July 29 and runs into July 30, which is why Panchang followers count Sawan as starting on the 30th. The first Monday to fall within this window is August 3, 2026, and that's the date devotees will be treating as the opening Somwar of the vrat cycle.


Astrologically, it's a fairly favourable start too. Uttara Bhadrapada Nakshatra and Sukarma Yoga both coincide with the day, which many pandits consider a good sign for beginning any fresh spiritual commitment.

Shubh Muhurat for Puja on August 3:

• Brahma Muhurat: 4:19 am to 5:01 am
• Abhijit Muhurat: 12:00 pm to 12:54 pm

Early risers who can manage the Brahma Muhurat slot are said to get the most benefit, though realistically, most working professionals end up doing their abhishek before office hours or in the evening, and that's perfectly fine too. Devotion matters more than the clock.

All Four Sawan Somwar Dates In 2026

For those in North India, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, where the Purnimanta calendar is followed, Sawan 2026 has exactly four Mondays:

• First Somwar: August 3
• Second Somwar: August 10
• Third Somwar: August 17
• Fourth Somwar: August 24

Worth noting: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu follow the Amanta calendar, where Shravan begins about a fortnight later, this year running from mid-August into September. So if your relatives in Pune or Hyderabad tell you their Sawan hasn't even started yet while yours is already a week in, that's not a mix-up, it's just a different regional calendar.

Sawan wraps up on August 28, which also happens to be Shravan Purnima, the same day as Raksha Bandhan.

How To Perform Shrawan Somwar Vrat

Start the day with a bath, preferably before sunrise, and put on clean clothes, light colours are traditionally preferred. Head to a Shiva temple if you can, or set up a small puja space at home with a Shivling or an image of Bhagwan Shiva.

Offer water first, followed by milk, curd, honey and ghee if you have them, this combination is what's known as panchamrit abhishek. Bilva (bel) leaves are considered especially dear to Shiva, so don't skip those. White flowers, sandalwood paste and fruits round off the offerings. Light a diya, burn some incense, and sit down to recite the Shiv Chalisa or simply keep chanting "Om Namah Shivaya" through the day.

As for the fast itself, most people follow one of two routes: a nirjala vrat (without water) for those who are physically up to it, or a phalahar vrat where fruits, milk, sabudana and singhare ka atta are allowed. There's no shame in choosing the easier option, the intent behind the fast counts for more than how strict it is. Break the fast only after the evening aarti, and avoid grains, onion, garlic and non-vegetarian food through the day.

A few things to steer clear of through the whole of Sawan, not just on Mondays: alcohol, non-veg meals, harsh words, and generally anything that stirs up conflict at home. The month is meant to be one of restraint and simplicity.

Why Mondays Of Sawan Matter So Much

Every Monday is dedicated to Shiva in Hindu tradition anyway, but during Shravan, that connection gets amplified. Popular belief holds that Bhagwan Shiva drank the halahal poison that emerged during Samudra Manthan to save the universe, and it was during this very month that Devi Parvati is said to have nursed him through it by holding his throat, which is how he came to be known as Neelkanth. Worshipping him during Sawan, especially on Mondays, is seen as a way of expressing gratitude for that act.

Unmarried devotees, particularly women, often keep these fasts hoping for a suitable life partner in the image of Shiva-Parvati's union, while married couples pray for a long and happy married life. Many families also begin the Solah Somwar Vrat, a longer commitment spanning sixteen consecutive Mondays, starting from this very first Sawan Somwar.