When Does Sawan 2026 Start and End?
In Ujjain and across North India — which follow the Purnimanta calendar — Sawan (Shravan) 2026 begins on Thursday, 30 July 2026, the day after Guru Purnima (29 July), and ends on Raksha Bandhan, Friday, 28 August 2026. Devotees in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and South India follow the Amanta calendar, where Shravan starts about two weeks later — but for pujas performed in Ujjain, the 30 July to 28 August window is the one that applies. Shravan is the month the shastras give wholly to Shiva, and in the city of Mahakaleshwar it is the most sacred — and busiest — month of the entire year.
Sawan Somvar 2026 — The Four Mondays
Every Monday of Shravan is a Sawan Somvar, the most powerful day of the week for Shiva worship. In 2026 there are four: 3 August, 10 August, 17 August, and 24 August. Devotees observe the Somvar vrat (fast), offer jal and bilva leaves to the Shivling, and have abhishek performed — our Sawan Somvar vrat guide covers the full vidhi, the niyam, and what must never be offered to the Shivling. These four Mondays are the most heavily booked days of the year for Rudrabhishek in Ujjain — if you want your sankalp performed on a Sawan Somvar, book at least a week ahead.
Mahakal Sawari — The Monday Processions of Ujjain
On every Monday of Sawan, Mahakal leaves his temple. The utsav murti of Mahakaleshwar is carried in a royal procession — the Sawari — through the old streets of Ujjain to the Shipra river, accompanied by police bands, cavalry, bhajan troupes, and lakhs of devotees. There are six Sawaris in 2026, running from 3 August through to the grand Shahi Sawari on 7 September — all six dates, the 4 PM timing and the route are in our complete Mahakal Sawari 2026 guide. If you are planning a darshan trip during Sawan 2026, a Sawari Monday gives you a spectacle found nowhere else in India — but expect serious crowds and plan your temple darshan for early morning.
Key Dates in Sawan 2026
Beyond the Somvars, mark these days: Sawan Shivratri — 11 August 2026, the Krishna Chaturdashi of Shravan, second only to Mahashivratri for Shiva puja; Hariyali Amavasya — 12 August 2026, the new moon of Shravan, powerful for ancestral rites and Pitra Dosh puja; Nag Panchami — Monday, 17 August 2026; and Raksha Bandhan / Shravan Purnima — 28 August 2026, which closes the month. Every date from Sawan through to Pitru Paksha is listed in our Ujjain festival calendar 2026, and any reliable panchang gives tithi timings for your chosen date.
Nag Panchami 2026 Falls on a Sawan Somvar — A Rare Combination
Nag Panchami — the single most powerful date in the year for Kaal Sarp Dosh Puja — falls on Monday, 17 August in 2026. A Nag Panchami that is also a Sawan Somvar joins the day of the serpents with the day of Shiva in Shiva's own month, and Ujjain's pandits regard such a combination as exceptionally auspicious for Rahu-Ketu shanti. Slots for Kaal Sarp Dosh Puja in Ujjain on this date will fill earlier than any other day of the year — devotees who need this remedy should reserve well in advance. Our Nag Panchami 2026 guide covers the day's vidhi and why the combination matters.
Which Pujas to Book in Sawan — and Why
Shravan multiplies the phala (fruit) of Shiva worship, so rituals connected to Shiva and to the shadow planets are given first preference: Rudrabhishek on any Somvar, Mahamrityunjaya Jaap for health and protection, Kaal Sarp Dosh Puja on Nag Panchami, and Sawan Shivratri abhishek. Because Mahakal Darshan's pandits perform pujas on the Shipra's banks and in Ujjain's temples every day of Sawan, you can book any of these online — the sankalp is taken in your name and gotra, you watch the full ritual on a live WhatsApp video call from home, and prasad reaches your door afterwards.