The Month of Lord Shiva

This month, Shravan Maas, as it is called in Hindi, is considered to be the holiest month of the year as many religious festivals and ceremonies take place in this period of time, so almost every day is considered prosperous.

However, it is Mondays when ceremonies are usually performed and fasting observed, as they are the days of Mahadev. The advantages of fasting at this time are gaining the blessing of spiritual bliss, improving physical and mental health, increasing willpower and memory, women finding an ideal patner, and removing obstacles by expelling negativity.

Due to the fact that Indians use the lunar calendar when it comes to religious holidays, this month is at a different time each year. This year it started on 1st August, the day after Guru Purnima, which was also celebrated here in Jadan Ashram, and will last till 29th which is Raksha Bandan, the holiday of brothers and sisters.

During the entire month, devotees offer prayers, flowers and ceremonies to Lord Shiva. The pujas done include flowers, incense, fruit, bael leaves, rice, kum kum, the paste for making tilaks, and panchamrit. In our Ashram we also observed this practice by having our Ashram pundit performing pujas along with the recital of appropriate mantras every Monday.

This was taking place in Shiv Mandir, the temple dedicated to God Shiva, where all members of Shiva parivar, family, were worshiped: Ganesh, Parvati, Kartikeya, Nandi and Shiva Lingam, the symbol of Lord Shiva. Everyone was, naturally, welcome to come to the puja and express their adoration and amiration to Lord Shiva, who is the fountain of mercy and the bestower of everything auspicious. Today, on 24th of July, the last Monday of Shravan month, the last ceremony of this kind was done, with which we concluded the celebrations of this month. However, that does not mean we do not carry Bholenath, which is one of Shiva's numerous names meaning 'the innocent one,' in our hearts throughout the entire year.