Solah Somwar — the vow of sixteen consecutive Mondays — is among the most cherished of Shiva vrats. The devotee fasts and worships Lord Shiva for sixteen unbroken Mondays, keeping simple food, quiet conduct and steady devotion, and closes the vow with a concluding udyapan ceremony.
It is kept above all by those seeking marriage, progeny, health or the fulfilment of a long-held wish. Below is the classic vrat katha, the puja vidhi in order, the niyam to keep through the fast, and the udyapan that formally completes the sixteen Mondays.
The Solah Somwar Vrat Katha
The story of Shiva, Parvati and the sixteen Mondays
As the katha is traditionally told, Shiva and Parvati once rested in a temple and began a game of dice. Parvati won each round, yet Shiva disputed the outcome. A young attendant of the temple, called to judge between them, sided with Shiva — and Parvati, displeased, cursed him with leprosy.
The boy suffered greatly. Later, celestial maidens who came to the temple took pity on him and taught him the Solah Somwar vrat — to fast and worship Shiva on sixteen consecutive Mondays. He kept it with faith, and by the sixteenth Monday his body was healed and his fortune restored.
When Parvati learned that Shiva’s grace had cured the boy, she too kept the vrat, and their estranged son Kartikeya returned to them. The same vow, taught onward to a grieving princess and later to a merchant, brought each of them relief, reunion and prosperity. The katha teaches one truth: steadfast, sincere devotion to Shiva across sixteen Mondays removes suffering and fulfils the heart’s wish.
Solah Somwar puja vidhi
How to perform the Monday worship, step by step
Sankalp (the vow)
On the first Monday, bathe early, wear clean clothes and take the sankalp — a resolve to keep the fast for sixteen unbroken Mondays and complete the udyapan at the end.
Establish the deity
Set a clean chowki (low seat) facing east, place a Shivling or an image of Shiva–Parvati on it, and light a ghee lamp beside it.
Abhishek
Bathe the Shivling with water, then with panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar), and finally with water again. Wipe it gently clean.
Offerings
Offer bilva (bel) leaves, white flowers, akshat (unbroken rice), sandal paste, dhatura and a sacred thread. Bilva leaves are dear to Shiva and central to the worship.
Jaap & katha
Chant "Om Namah Shivaya" on a rudraksha mala, then read or hear the Solah Somwar Vrat Katha with full attention.
Aarti & prasad
Conclude with the Shiva aarti. Prepare the churma or gud-atta prasad in three equal parts — one offered to Shiva, one shared, one taken by the devotee to break the fast.
The niyam of the vow
Rules to keep through the sixteen Mondays
- Keep all sixteen Mondays without a break; if one is missed the count is traditionally begun again.
- Fast on phalahar — fruit, milk and rock-salt (sendha namak) dishes; avoid grains, common salt, onion and garlic.
- Break the fast only after the evening Shiva worship, taking the prasad first.
- Keep truth, restraint and kindness through the day; avoid anger and harsh speech.
- Wear clean clothes for the puja; white is considered most auspicious for Shiva worship.
Udyapan — concluding the vow
The ceremony after the sixteenth Monday
On the seventeenth Monday
The udyapan is performed after the sixteen Mondays are complete, usually on the following (seventeenth) Monday. Clean the puja place and prepare the mandap.
Full puja & havan
Perform the complete Shiva puja and a small havan, offering ahutis with "Om Namah Shivaya" and reading the katha a final time.
Feed & give dakshina
Feed Brahmins or the needy, offer them dakshina, and distribute the churma prasad. The vow is then formally concluded and its fruit sought from Shiva.
Who keeps the Solah Somwar vrat
The wish-seekers, and why the vow is kept
The Solah Somwar vrat is kept above all by wish-seekers — unmarried women praying for a worthy husband, couples seeking a child, and anyone bearing an illness or a long-unfulfilled desire. There is no restriction of age or gender: married women, men and elders all keep it. Shiva is Ashutosh, easily pleased by sincere, simple devotion, and the sixteen-Monday vow is the classic way to seek his grace with patience and constancy.
Starting in Sawan
Time your Monday puja right
The morning and evening Shiva-worship windows shift with your city's sunrise. Check today's tithi and the day's auspicious periods before you begin the vrat.
Frequently asked questions
The Solah Somwar vrat, katha and udyapan