Fasting days

Shravan Month is considered as one of the most auspicious months in the entire sub-continent of India. This holy month is solely dedicated to Lord Shiva and His consort Goddess Parvati. Legend says that Lord Shiva drank poison in the month of Shravan to save the world. According to teachings of the Shiva Purana, this auspicious month Shravan and specifically the day-Monday, both are very dear to Lord Shiva. Therefore, Hindu devotees maintain austerity, observe strict fasts and pray to Lord Shiva in this holy month of Shravan to fulfill all their desires and wishes with His divine blessings. During...

Life on earth is altogether impossible without the cosmic rays of the Sun. Worshiping the Lord Sun who is the lifeline of the world is nothing new. The Hindu origin people across the world have been praying and offering water to worship the visible God since time immemorial. There are uncountable festivals pertaining to Sun that happen in India every year and Ravivar Vart is an important one. Ravivar Vrat is done to please Lord Sun, who is self-luminary and the primary source of all energy to the world. Hindu devotees worship this powerful planet Sun God to win His...

Hindu panachanga dedicates Shanivar (Saturday) to worship the powerful God Shanidev (Saturn), who is one of the Navagraha (nine planets). Observing Vrat, fast on Saturday is considered highly beneficial and the most significant among all the weekly Vrats. As per mythological teachings, Hindu devotees not only worships Lord Shanidev but also worship Lord Hanuman and Lord Narasingha (4th incarnation of Lord Vishnu) on this auspicious day. Experts and astrologers advocate that Saturday fast is extremely useful for those who have a weak Saturn in their horoscope (Kundali). Observing fast on this day to please Saturn (Shanidev) is an easiest way...

India is a holy country and millions of Indians believe in the powers of devotion and worship. Therefore, they perform different rituals, observe fast to receive divine blessings of their favorite God or Goddess. Shukravar Vrat is one of such auspicious ritual where mostly Hindu women observe Vrat to please Goddess Santoshi and to seek Her blessings. According to Hindu religious books; Santoshi Mata is referred to as the goddess of contentment, Santoshi means contentment, and considered as the kind and softest form of Goddess Durga. She is the daughter of Lord Ganesh and Devi Riddhi- Siddhi. Friday fast is...

Hindu mythology dedicates every single day of a week to a particular deity or the celestial body. The divine scripture “Muhurt Shastra” dedicates Guruvar or Brihaspativar (Thursday) to Lord Brihaspati, the Guru of all Gods and Lord of the largest and simmering planet Jupiter. India Hindus observe a fast on this day to worship Lord Brihaspati to receive His gracious blessings. Astrologically speaking, planet Jupiter is the teacher of the science of light, which is astrology and astronomy. This supreme planet (among NavGraha) is directly associated with the principles of growth, success, healing, vision, intellectual, knowledge, spirituality, possibilities, prosperity, financial...

Hindu mythology describes that every planet of our solar system is a celestial body and dedicates each day of a week to a particular deity. Wednesday (Budhavar) is dedicated to the planet Mercury, and the Lord of Mercury – Budhdev. On this day, most of the devotee’s worship Lord Ganesh along with Lord Budhdev. Lord Budhdev (Planet Mercury) holds a pristine position in Hindu Mythology with a dedicated mid-week day. According to astrologers, Mercury is being regarded as a prince in the planetary cabinet and acts as a protective agency that paints a picture of intelligence, hope, and faith. Devotees...

India, a multi-cultural country celebrates many festivals and rituals in a year. Specifically, when it comes to Hinduism we observe fasts and worship many gods and goddesses and each of them is dedicated to a specific day of the week. Like every Monday, worshippers chant to Lord Shiva and keep fast while Tuesday are for Lord Hanuman who is considered as an incarnation of Lord Shiva (the eleventh avatar of Rudra), who came to serve Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Mangalwar (Tuesday) is considered the birthday of Lord Hanuman, therefore, devotees celebrates this day to get blessings and...

India is a holy country and birthplace of innumerable gods and goddesses. Different festivals of different cultures find their best place in the heart of Indians and this is what makes it Incredible India. For ages people of this country, particularly the Hindus celebrate various rituals and observe fast to worship different God for their spiritual, physical, and economical upliftment. Somvar (Monday) Vrat is one of such popular rituals and considered very auspicious for the worship of Lord Shiva. According to teachings of Hindu mythology, every Monday of a lunar calendar is an auspicious day which is dedicated to the...

Sankashti Chaturthi is an auspicious festival dedicated to Lord Ganesh, who is also known as Vighnaharta (the destroyer of all problems). Most of the Hindu devotees celebrate this day wholeheartedly which falls in every lunar month of the Hindu calendar on the fourth day of Krishna Paksha (dark lunar phase or the waning phase). If this auspicious day falls on a Tuesday then it is called Angaraki Sankashti Chaturthi and considered highly important among all Sankashti Chaturthi days.  According to Hindu mythology, it is a reserved day to worship Lord Ganesh because the Supreme Lord Shiva declared His son Ganesh,...

Masik Shivaratri or Masa Shivaratri, one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu lunar calendar, falls on Chaturdashi Tithi during the waning phase of the moon (Krishna Paksha). Every month, Hindu devotees observe fast on this day and worship Lord Shiva and Shakti with immense faith to receive His blessings. There are 12 Masik Shivaratri in a year and each month has its own significance. As per Hindu scriptures, Maha Shivaratri is the most significant among all these 12 Shivaratri that falls during February or March. The word Masik or Masa means ‘monthly’ and Shivratri means ‘night of Lord...

Purnima, the brightest night without lights or Full Moon is a natural event that falls every month according to the lunar cycle. Purnima is a symbolic date that divides the month into 2 equal lunar fortnights (Called as Shukla Paksha and Krishna Paksha). Many Hindu devotees observe fast on this day to celebrate Purnima Vrat. These devotees take a dip in the sacred river before sunrise, worship Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu in the morning and Chandra Deva (Moon God) in the evening. Most of the Hindus in India celebrate Purnima Vrat and Shree Satyanarayan Puja with deep faith to...

Amavasya is also known as no moon or new moon day is a Sanskrit word that falls every month in the lunar calendar. A lunar month in the Hindu calendar has two fortnights (Shukla and Krushna) and begins with the New moon, (Amavasya). We know that the moon completes one rotation around the earth within a duration of 29.5 days. During this period, we see a new moon (Amavasya) and a full moon (Purnima) due to the waxing – waning cycle of the moon. Amavasya occurs on the 15th Day of Krishna paksha as per the lunar cycle. Amavasya and...

India is a land full of myriad cultures and traditions, and one such Hindu festival is “Pradosh”. Hindu devotees’ believe, it is one of the most powerful vrat (fast). They observe a fast on this day and celebrates this Vrat with a lot of enthusiasm and zeal. The Pradosh ritual is a penance aimed at seeking good health, peace, and liberation (Moksha). The word ‘pradosh’ means ‘beginning part of the night’, or ‘relating to the evening’. So, this scared vrat is observed during evening twilight (Sandhyakaal) and called “Pradosh Vrat”. According to the Divine scripture ‘Shiva Purana’, it is believed...

Ekadashi, an auspicious day in Hindu culture which is the eleventh lunar day (tithi) of each of the two lunar phases – the period of the brightening moon (Shukla Paksa) and the period of the fading moon (Krushna Paksa). Meaning and Origin of Ekadashi: According to Hindu mythology, Ekadashi means, transforming actions of ten senses and the mind from worldly desires to God and consuming only permitted foods. A tale from “Padma Purana” narrates the origin of Ekadashi fasting. Thousands of years ago, there was a brutal demon called Mura. He was a source of terror to the demigods as well...

"Hindu Dharma or Sanatan Dharma” is nothing but living a spiritual way of life. Fasting is a common practice to many faiths like Sikh, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism but fasting is an integral aspect of Hindu Dharma. Individuals observe different kinds of fasts based on age-old traditions or personal beliefs. The practice of fasting is as old as Santana Dharma, which is the world’s oldest living faith. Fasting means a wilful detachment from eating for a particular period of time. Hindu scriptures describe the rationale and methods of fasting. Our Puranas and Holy textbooks narrate innumerable stories and their positive...