Shivratri 2023 July: Sawan Shivratri Date and Time, Vrat Vidhi, Katha, Shubh Muhurat

Shivratri is an auspicious festival of Hindus devoted to worship of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The shivratri which falls in the Hindi month of Shravana is celebrated as Sawan Shivratri and has a special importance of its own. It is believed that devotees who observe Shivratri fast with complete dedication and worship Shiva and Parvati on this day, all their wishes are fulfilled. Sawan Shivratri is the Shivratri in July that will be observed on July 15, 2023. Devotees observe this day by anointing Lord Shiva and keeping day-long fast to please the Lord and ask for His blessing. Let us find out more details about this important day such as how to celebrate it, what’s the significance of this day, etc.

Shivratri 2023 July Overview

Shivratri 2023 July Date

Sawan Shivratri in the year 2023 falls on Saturday, July 15. According to the Hindu calendar, Shravan Shivratri falls on the chaturdashi tithi of krishna paksha in Shravan month. In Gregorian calendar, the day generally falls in the month of July.

Puja Timing

Chaturdashi tithi will begin on 08:32 PM on July 15 and end on 10:08 PM on Jul 16, 2023. The best timing for nishita kaal puja will be from 12:07 AM to 12:48 AM on July 16. Shivratri parana time will be form 05:33 AM to 03:54 PM on July 16. Here is the timing for worshiping Lord Shiva in different prahars:

Holiday on Sawan Shivratri 2023

Sawan Shivratri is an important and major festivals of Hindus celebrated in the northern states of India like Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and others. However, there is no public holiday observed on the occasion of Shravan Shivratri festival.

Significance of Sawan Shivratri festival

The whole Shravan month is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva but the day of Shivratri holds special significance. Also called Masa Shivratri or Shravan Shivratri, Sawan Shivratri is the day to offer prayers to Shiva and seek his blessings to be free from all sins. Praying Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati with utmost dedication on the day of Shravan Shivratri brings all kind of happiness to the devotees and fulfills all their wishes. It is therefore considered extra auspicious and beneficial to observe Shravan Shivratri vrat.

Vrat Vidhi

The festival of Sawan Shivratri begins a day before the actual Shivratri, i.e. on the trayodashi tithi of Shravan month. Devotees observe the day by eating only one meal and offering prayers to Shiva and Parvati. On the next day of Shivratri, devotees wake up early in the morning, put on clean new clothes and take a sankalp to observe complete fast the rest of the day.

Prayers, flowers and sweets are offered to Lord Shiva and Mother Parvati and devotees recite Shravan Shivratri Vrat Katha. In the evening, they take a second bath and get ready for the evening puja. Many people visit temples and offer their prayers to the Lord and Goddess. On the next day of the festival, devotees observe parana and open their fast after taking a bath and offering prayers to the Lord again.

Sawan Shivratri Vrat Katha

Devotees observing the fast of Shravan Shivratri must recite the vrat katha as it brings good fortune to them and puja is only considered complete with the reciting of the puja. Here goes the story-

Once upon a time there was a Gurudruh named Bhil who lived nearby the forest of Varanasi and nourished his family by hunting wild animals. One day when he was unable to repay money to a moneylender, he was taken to his court where he spent whole day eating only one meal. The moneylender let him go asking him to return his money the next day. Bhil went to the forest the next day but couldn’t find any prey all day long. He reached a lake with a Bel tree nearby and a Shivling under the tree that was hidden under dry leaves and branches of the tree. The Gurudruh climbed the tree and in the process some leaves of Bel tree (belpatra) fell on the shivling below. Unknowingly, Bhil performed the first prahar of Shivaratri puja.

Bhil started waiting for a prey to come when he suddenly saw a deer. He arranged his bows and arrows to shoot the deer and in the process again some fell on the shivling, completing the second prahar of puja. When the deer saw Bhil is about to kill him, she begged him to spare her life just so she can leave her children to her sister’s home and promised to return. The hunter let the deer go. After some time, another deer appeared and once again Bhil arranged his bow and arrow and some belpatra fell completing third prahar puja. The second deer also asked for a chance to meet her beloved and be back after that. Again a third deer appeared and similarly the puja of fourth prahar was complete.

Only then, the other two deer appeared as well but watching the whole family of the deer, Bhil had a change of heart and decided to let them all go. And since he has completed the Shivratri puja with the right rituals, Lord Shiva appeared in front of him and blessed him with a fulfilling life and salvation after death. This concludes the Shravan Shivratri vrat katha.

Celebration

Sawan Shivratri is celebrated with great enthusiasm and many temples dedicated to Lord Shiva makes special arrangements in celebration of the day. Famous Shiva temples of Kashi Vishwanath and Badrinath Dham arrange special Pujas and Shiva Darshan during the shravan month.

Devotees of Shiva from all over the country visit His shrines during this auspicious month to perform Gangajal Abhishek.

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