Sawan 2026: The Complete Monday-by-Monday Shiva Sadhana

Sawan, the fifth month of the Hindu calendar, is dedicated entirely to Lord Shiva. Devotees fast, chant, offer water and bilva leaves on the Shivalinga, and undertake the Kanwar Yatra. The month is considered the easiest window of the year to please Mahadeva, because the myth says this is when Shiva returned to earth after the churning of the ocean and accepted the world's gratitude.

Sawan 2026 runs from 10 July to 8 August. There are four Sawan Somwars (Mondays): 13 July, 20 July, 27 July, and 3 August. Each Monday has its own emphasis in traditional practice.

First Somwar - purification. Bathe before sunrise, wear clean clothes, offer plain water and white flowers on the Shivalinga. Chant the Panchakshari mantra 'Om Namah Shivaya' 108 times. Eat only once, after sunset, and keep the meal simple - fruit, milk, sabudana.

Second Somwar - devotion. Add bilva patra (three-leaved bilva) to the offering. Recite the Shiva Chalisa in addition to the Panchakshari mantra. Many devotees begin the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra japa on this day - a minimum of 108 repetitions.

Third Somwar - protection. Offer raw milk mixed with a little Ganga jal. Wear or hold a 5-mukhi Rudraksha during japa. This is the day to formally take a sankalpa for any long-standing health issue and hand it over to Shiva.

Fourth Somwar - completion. Perform a small Rudrabhishek at home if possible - water, milk, curd, honey, ghee, in that order. Feed a Brahmin, an elderly person, or a stray cow. Close the month's practice with gratitude, not with a request.

Rudraksha, bilva, and bhasma are the three most Shiva-friendly substances in the tradition. Wearing a properly energised Rudraksha through Sawan multiplies the effect of every mantra. Our verified 5-mukhi and 11-mukhi malas are available on the Shop page and can be pre-consecrated for Sawan on request.