Solah Somvar Vrat Vidhi, Benefits, Timings, and Procedure

Dress Code to be followed

Gents: dhoti (white) and shirt or kurta and pyjama.
Ladies: Saree or Salwar Kameez (with Pallu Compulsory).
All pilgrims are requested not to wear clothes such as T-shirts, jeans, etc., as the same is strictly prohibited irrespective of any age group.

When should I perform Solah Somvar Vrat?

The first Monday of Shukla Paksha in the month of Shravan marks the beginning of Solah Somvar Vrat, which is thought to be highly effective. It is possible to fast for up to four or five Mondays in a row. A person can fast for up to 16 Mondays in a row if they are ready to put in more effort.

16 Solah Somvar Vrath Importance

In India, the most common vrat is the 16 Somvar vrat. To show respect and appease Lord Shiva for his blessings, it must be held for 16 Somvars in a row. This fast is open to anyone who wants to receive blessings from the deity. The main reason single women celebrate this Vrat is to receive the blessings of a happy marriage with the right partner. There are several advantages to keeping this fast during the month of Shravan. Devotees worship, perform puja Vidhi, and read the 16 Solah Somvar Vrat Katha on this special day, much like they do on other fasts.

Fasting has three types for Solah Somvar Vrat

Simple fasting every Monday
Som Pradosh fasting
16 Mondays fasting

Solah Somvar Vrat Vidhi

Get up early, take a bath, and prepare all the articles for 16 Somvar Vrat.
Proceed to the Lord Shiva temple after that. If this is not feasible, pujas can still be done at home. Begin by using water to clean the deity’s idol, then arrange flowers in the place of worship.
After cleaning the sacred place, ignite an oil-filled lamp. Next, present Lord Shiva with flowers and recite prayers heartily.
To mark the conclusion of the puja, offer betel leaves, coconut, almonds, fruits, and sweet dishes. Usually, people present sweet foods that they have made at home.
The 16 Somvar Vrat Kathas are then recited, and arti is used to close the puja.
In the evening, light a lamp in front of Lord Shiva. Throughout the day, one should observe the fast. To receive blessings, single women should read the tale of Lord Shiva and Parvati Devi’s marriage.

Solah Somvar Vrath Katha

Lord Shiva once paid a visit to Amravati, a well-known city. Parvati went with him as well. They chose to stop and spend some time at a stunning Shiva temple they came across while traveling. Parvati once discovered Lord Shiva having joy. Oh my Lord, she said to him, “Let’s play a dice game.” After Lord Shiva granted her request, the game began. In the meantime, the temple’s priest had arrived. Parvati turned to face him, asking him to predict the winner of the game. The Brahman responded, “Lord Shiva will win the game,” without really considering her question. As it turns out, Parvati prevailed in the match. The Brahman had lied, and for that, she was enraged. She cursed the Brahman to be a leper, despite Lord Shiva’s attempts to calm her. The Brahman eventually turned into a leper and lived a wretched life. A few angels eventually arrived on Earth and expressed sympathy for the priest’s situation. The priest told him the entire story when he asked. You observe Monday fasts for sixteen weeks straight, without a break, stated one of the angels. Make some holy food, or Prasaad, on Monday, the seventeenth, using flour, ghee, and gur. Share some of this prasad with your family and have some for yourself. You will no longer have leprosy. The priest did as instructed, and the angels disappeared. He soon resumed his regular state of health. Lord Shiva and Parvati visited that temple again. Parvati was taken aback at seeing the priest. He was acting like himself. When she asked the priest about this accomplishment, he told her the entire story. Feeling content, Parvati decided to fast on Mondays for sixteen weeks. Remarkably, when she broke her fast on Monday, the seventeenth, her adored son Kartikeya showed up, angry with her, and asked, “Dear mother, what is that power with which you have called me?” What’s the mystery? Parvati said, “My dear son, all this miracle is due to sixteen weeks of uninterrupted Monday fasting.” Kartikeya’s buddy, the Brahman, had been away from home for a long time. “I will fast on Mondays for sixteen weeks to have a happy reunion with my friend,” declared Kartikeya. To his utter amazement, his friend returned well and strong after he followed the regulations about the 16-week fast. When the companion asked about the miracle, Kartikeya informed him of the Monday fasting guidelines. His marriage was a source of great curiosity for the Brahman friend. He decided to fast on Mondays for sixteen weeks. The companion of Brahman went to a city on the seventeenth Monday. The city’s lord decided to wed his daughter to the person whose elegantly ornamented elephant would hang the garland. The Brahman came on stage. By the way, the elephant praised him profusely. Along with his daughter, the city’s monarch gave him a large sum of money. The following day, the couple left and returned to their house. The bride said, “My dear, how is it that the elephant ignored all the princes and garlanded you?” on the night of their honeymoon. How did you make it through the lucky times? The groom remarked, “I fasted on sixteen Mondays.” Lord Shiva’s day is Monday. I have a lovely wife like you because of his favors. I found out about this secret from my friend Kartikeya. The bride also decided to fast for sixteen Mondays in honor of her lovely, intelligent kid. Her love paid off, and she gave birth to a stunning son. The boy asked his mother, “My dear mother, what is the mystery behind my birth?” as he grew older. Kindly let me see it. The mother described to him her Monday fasting practices. To win a kingdom for his parents, the son also decided to keep the fasts.

Interestingly, diplomats from a nearby state sent an ancient king there to find the princess a lovely and intelligent husband. He accepted their offer of the princess’s hand without hesitation. After a while, the youngster ascended to the throne as the monarch. For the next sixteen Mondays, the newly anointed monarch kept up his fast. He organized a sizable prayer gathering at a temple on Monday, the seventeenth. Everything was planned out well in advance. After receiving prasad from the priest, the monarch asked the queen to go with him to the temple to break the fast. The queen declined to accompany him. It was the king’s alone to go. The oracle reiterated, “King, turn out the queen from the palace or destruction will fall upon you,” and the king heard it. The king went back to his palace. He informed his ministers about the oracle and called a session. They were all shocked to learn that he had become the state’s monarch because of that princess. He made a suggestion, which they reluctantly accepted. Finally, the queen was revealed. The queen dressed in tattered clothing and walked barefoot out of the palace. She was tired and thirsty. She met an elderly woman whose head was covered in several spinning spindles. She planned to visit the city. She sympathized with her and offered to assist her in selling the yarn, as she lacked experience in the sales process. The queen accepted that cargo. Interestingly, a powerful wind carried the spindles away, and they vanished into the dusty breeze. The old lady asked the queen to go, and the queen felt sad for her. The queen went to live with an oilman and took refuge there. The oilman complied, but as soon as she moved in, cracks appeared in all of his oil pots, causing the oil to spill onto the floor. The oilman turned her out right away. Now the queen was discouraged. To relieve her thirst, she went to the river’s edge. The water dried as soon as she touched it. After that, she entered a deep bush and came across a water tank. The crystalline, sweet water turned murky as she descended the stairs. She swore at her lot in life and drank a few drips of the murky water. She wanted to relax under a tree for shade because she was now exhausted. The tree started to lose leaves as she drew closer, and eventually, it had none left. When the cowherds witnessed this tragedy, they told the local temple’s priest everything that had happened. The priest called the woman. The woman’s royal looks took him by surprise. He comforted her and gave her all she needed. However, after a few days, he too grew tired of her because everything the woman touched turned tainted. It could be water, food, or milk. “Lady, what curse has fallen upon you?” the priest asked one day. You solved the riddle. He was informed by the woman of her refusal to accept an invitation to fast on Mondays. The priest got the whole story. He was aware of Shiva’s curse. “Oh dear lady, you fast on sixteen Mondays, and Lord Shiva will forgive your sins,” he uttered. After realizing her error, the woman fasted on Mondays for sixteen Mondays. The king thought to himself on Monday, the seventeenth, “My queen left my palace long ago.” She must be in a very bad situation. He summoned his courtiers and gave them the directive to locate the queen. The queen was living in a temple when the courtiers arrived. The priest answered, “Let the king himself come to receive her,” refusing to give the queen to them. The courtiers told the entire story to the monarch. The news made the king delighted. He proceeded to the temple and asked the priest to give him back his queen. The monarch acknowledged that he left the queen behind to avert Lord Shiva’s anger. The queen went back to the palace because the priest believed what the monarch had said. They welcomed her like royalty. The monarch provided food for the hungry and gave money to those in need. Now, the king and queen led extremely happy lives and consistently kept fasts on sixteen Mondays a year. They found residence at Shivapuri, the city of Lord Shiva, when they passed away. Since then, it has been held that a person who fasts for sixteen Mondays receives all blessings and, at his death, enters Shivapuri.

Srisailam Jyotirlinga Kshetra is good for such pujas.

Shravan Solah Somvar Vrat Days

First Monday: 22 July 2024
Second Monday: July 29, 2024
Third Monday: August 5, 2024
Fourth Monday: August 12, 2024
Fifth Monday: August 19, 2024
Sixth Monday: August 26, 2024

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