| Shravana | |
|---|---|
 Janmashtami is celebrated in the month of Shravana and commemorates the birth ofKrishna | |
| Native name | Śrāvaṇa (Sanskrit) |
| Calendar | Hindu calendar |
| Month number | 5 |
| Number of days | 29 or 30 |
| Season | Varsha (monsoon) |
| Gregorian equivalent | July–August |
| Significant days | |
Shravana is the fifthmonth of theHindulunar calendar and theIndian national calendar.[1] The name of the month is derived from the position of theMoon near theShravananakshatra (star) on thefull moon day.[2] The month corresponds to themonsoon (Varsha)season and falls inJuly–August of theGregorian calendar.[3]
In the Hindusolar calendar, it corresponds to the month ofKarkata and begins with theSun's entry intoCancer.[4] It corresponds toSrabon, the fourth month in theBengali calendar.[4] In theTamil calendar, it corresponds to the fifth month ofAvani, falling in the Gregorian months of August–September.[4][5] In theVaishnav calendar, it corresponds to the fifth month of Sridhara.[6][7]
In the Hindu lunar calendar, each month has 29 or 30 days. The month begins on the next day afterAmavasya (new moon) orPurnima (full moon) as peramanta andpurnimanta systems respectively. A month consists of two cycles of 15 days each,Shukla Paksha (waning moon) andKrishna Paksha (waxing moon). Days in each cycle is labeled as athithi, with each thithi repeating twice in a month.[8][9]
InHinduism, the month of Shravana is dedicated to godShiva, with the devotees practicing various rituals to seek his blessings and spiritual growth.[10][11] People usually observefasting on Mondays of the month.[12]
Haryali Teej is celebrated on theTritiya (third day) thithi afterAmavasya (new moon).[13] It commemorates reunion of Shiva andParvati, after Parvati fasted for years before being accepted by Shiva in her 108th birth.[14][15][16]
Krishna Janmashtami marks the birth of Hindu godKrishna and is celebrated on theAshtami (eighth day) thithi ofKrishna Paksha (waxing moon). It is one of the major Hindu festivals, especially those followingVaishnava traditions.[17]
Naga Panchami is celebrated on thePanchami (fifth day)thithi ofShukla Paksha (waning moon) of the Shravana month. The day is dedicated to the worship of the snake godNāga.[18][19] InKarnataka, Basava Panchami is celebrated on the fifth day after Amavasya, and commemorates the day whenLingayat saintBasava attainedmoksha in 1196 CE.[20]
Various Hindu religious festivals are celebrated on thePurnima (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.[21][22] InHaryana andPunjab, people observe the festival of Salono.[23] During the day, priests tie amulets on people's wrists for protection against evil.[24][25][26] The festival of also involves a sister tying a thread calledponchi on a brother's hand.[27][28][29]
On the Purnima day, certain communities such asBrahmins perform rituals associated withUpakarma. Men change their sacred thread and begin to don a new one on the day annually.[30]
Narali Poornima is celebrated in parts ofWestern India, where incoconuts are offered to Hindu godVaruna. It marks the beginning of the fishing season, and the fishermen make an offering to the god for bountiful harvest.[31][32] The Purnima day is also celebrated asBalarama's birthday.[33]
InOdisha, Gamha Purnima is celebrated during which domesticatedcows andbullocks are decorated and worshipped. Country-made sweet such aspitha and mitha are made and distributed within families, relatives and friends.[34] InJagannath culture, Krishna andRadha are believed to have enjoyed the rainy season of the month while playing on aswing. The celebration commemorating the event usually starts on Ekadashi (four days before Purnima) and ends with Jhulan yatra on Gamha Purnima. The idols ofRadha-Krishna are decorated and placed on a swing (jhulan) on the day.[35]
In parts ofCentral India such asMadhya Pradesh,Chhattisgarh andJharkhand, the Purnima day is celebrated as Kajari Purnima. The festivities start onNavami (ninth day) after Amavasya, and ends on the full moon day. Women, who have sons, perform various rituals on the day.[36] In parts of Gujarat, the Purnima day marks the event of Pavitropana. On this day, people perform puja to worship Shiva.[37][38][39]Cotton threads or strands of grass are soaked inpanchagavya, and tied around alingam.[40]
Pola is a festival celebrated in parts ofMaharashtra. It is a thanksgiving festival celebrated to honor the oxen, which had helped with the farming activities.[41]
On theEkadashi (11th day) thithi, Vaishnavas in parts ofGujarat andRajasthan celebrate the birth ofPushti 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.[42][43] On theDwitiya thithi, Raghavendra Swami Punyathithi is observed, which commemorates the day when Hindu saintRaghavendra Tirtha, who advocatedMadhvacharya'sDvaita philosophy, achieved moksha in 1671 CE.[44]
The annualKanwar Yatra is held during the month, when devotees of Shivas known as Kanwarias travel by foot to various Hindu pilgrimage places such asHaridwar,Gaumukh andGangotri inUttarakhand to fetch holy waters from the Ganges.[45] During Shravani mela, thousands of pilgrims walk about 100 km (62 mi), carrying water, from theGanges fromSultanganj inBihar toDeoghar inJharkhand.[46]
... Raksha Bandhan: A popular festival of Indian Sub-continent where sister ties a thread on brother's wrist, signifying love and/or seeking protection ...
