Shravana (month)

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Indian English Template:Infobox month Template:Hinduism Shravana is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar and the Indian national calendar.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The name of the month is derived from the position of the Moon near the Shravana nakshatra (star) on the full moon day.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The month corresponds to the monsoon (Varsha) season and falls in July–August of the Gregorian calendar.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In the Hindu solar calendar, it corresponds to the month of Karkata and begins with the Sun's entry into Cancer.<ref name="Siddhantha">Template:Cite book</ref> It corresponds to Srabon, the fourth month in the Bengali calendar.<ref name="Siddhantha"/> In the Tamil calendar, it corresponds to the fifth month of Avani, falling in the Gregorian months of August–September.<ref name="Siddhantha"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the Vaishnav calendar, it corresponds to the fifth month of Sridhara.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the Hindu lunar calendar, each month has 29 or 30 days. The month begins on the next day after Amavasya (new moon) or Purnima (full moon) as per amanta and purnimanta systems respectively. A month consists of two cycles of 15 days each, Shukla Paksha (waning moon) and Krishna Paksha (waxing moon). Days in each cycle is labeled as a thithi, with each thithi repeating twice in a month.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Festivals

Haryali Teej

In Hinduism, the month of Shravana is dedicated to god Shiva, with the devotees practicing various rituals to seek blessings and spiritual growth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> People usually observe fasting on Mondays of the month.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Haryali Teej is celebrated on the Tritiya (third day) thithi after Amavasya (new moon).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It commemorates reunion of Shiva and Parvati, after Parvati fasted for years before being accepted by Shiva in her 108th birth.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Janmashtami

Krishna Janmashtami marks the birth of Hindu god Krishna and is celebrated on the Ashtami (eighth day) thithi of Krishna Paksha (waxing moon). It is one of the major Hindu festivals, especially those following Vaishnava traditions.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Naga Panchami

Naga Panchami is celebrated on the Panchami (fifth day) thithi of Shukla Paksha (waning moon) of the Shravana month. The day is dedicated to the worship of the snake god Nāga.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Karnataka, Basava Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day after Amavasya, and commemorates the day when Lingayat saint Basava attained moksha in 1196 CE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Purnima

Various Hindu religious festivals are celebrated on the Purnima (full moon) day of the month. Raksha Bandhan celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters, wherein sister(s) tie a thread on the brother's wrist.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Haryana and Punjab, people observe the festival of Salono.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> During the day, priests tie amulets on people's wrists for protection against evil.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The festival of also involves a sister tying a thread called ponchi on a brother's hand.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

On the Purnima day, certain communities such as Brahmins perform rituals associated with Upakarma. Men change their sacred thread and begin to don a new one on the day annually.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Narali Poornima is celebrated in parts of Western India, where in coconuts are offered to Hindu god Varuna. It marks the beginning of the fishing season, and the fishermen make an offering to the god for bountiful harvest.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Purnima day is also celebrated as Balarama's birthday.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In Odisha, Gamha Purnima is celebrated during which domesticated cows and bullocks are decorated and worshipped. Country-made sweet such as pitha and mitha are made and distributed within families, relatives and friends.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Jagannath culture, Krishna and Radha are believed to have enjoyed the rainy season of the month while playing on a swing. The celebration commemorating the event usually starts on Ekadashi (four days before Purnima) and ends with Jhulan yatra on Gamha Purnima. The idols of Radha-Krishna are decorated and placed on a swing (jhulan) on the day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In parts of Central India such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, the Purnima day is celebrated as Kajari Purnima. The festivities start on Navami (ninth day) after Amavasya, and ends on the full moon day. Women, who have sons, perform various rituals on the day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In parts of Gujarat, the Purnima day marks the event of Pavitropana. On this day, people perform puja to worship Shiva.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cotton threads or strands of grass are soaked in panchagavya, and tied around a lingam.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Pola

Pola is a festival celebrated in parts of Maharashtra. It is a thanksgiving festival celebrated to honor the oxen, which had helped with the farming activities.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Others

On the Ekadashi (11th day) thithi, Vaishnavas in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan celebrate the birth of Pushti marga, the path of grace. Vallabhacharya offered a sacred thread (pavitra soothan) to god Krishna on this day. To commemorate this, divine threads are offered to devotees on the day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the Dwitiya thithi, Raghavendra Swami Punyathithi is observed, which commemorates the day when Hindu saint Raghavendra Tirtha, who advocated Madhvacharya's Dvaita philosophy, achieved moksha in 1671 CE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Yatras

The annual Kanwar Yatra is held during the month, when devotees of Shivas known as Kanwarias travel by foot to various Hindu pilgrimage places such as Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand to fetch holy waters from the Ganges.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During Shravani mela, thousands of pilgrims walk about Template:Cvt, carrying water, from the Ganges from Sultanganj in Bihar to Deoghar in Jharkhand.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

See also

• Astronomical basis of the Hindu calendar
• Hindu astrology
• Hindu calendar
• Indian astronomy
• Indian units of measurement