Solah Somvar Vrat also known as 16 Somvar Ka Vrat, is a sacred Hindu fast dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. This fast is observed for sixteen consecutive Mondays with full devotion, proper Puja Vidhi and prayers, which bestows blessings like marital happiness, desired life partner, freedom from diseases and spiritual upliftment to the seeker.
Why Do Devotees Observe the Solah Somvar Vrat?
Solah Somvar vrat is especially significant for:
- Unmarried girls who wish to find a good life partner
- Married couples who want happiness, peace, child birth or family balance
- Devotees who want spiritual progress or the blessings of Lord Shiva
- Those who have Chandra Dosha or emotional imbalance in their Kundali
It is believed that Mata Parvati herself observed this fast with great devotion (bhakti) and as a result she got Lord Shiva as her husband.
Solah Somvar Vrat Katha
Once Mata Parvati and Lord Shiva were travelling on the earth. While travelling, they came to the city of Amravati in Vidarbha country. There was a beautiful Shiva temple in that city, so Mahadev started living there with Mata Parvati. One day Mata Parvati asked Lord Shiva to play Chausar. Lord Shiva also agreed and started playing Chausar.
At that time, Mata Parvati asked the priest who came to the temple to perform the daily aarti, “Who will win the Chausar game between the two of us?” He was a priest and a devotee of Lord Shiva, so he immediately said, “Mahadev ji will win.” When the Chausar game ended, Mata Parvati won, while Lord Shiva lost. When Mata Parvati wanted to curse that priest in anger, Lord Shiva stopped her and said that this is a game of fate, it is not his fault. Still Mata Parvati cursed him to be leper and made him leper. He suffered from leprosy for a long time.
One day an Apsara came to worship Lord Shiva in that temple, then she saw the leprosy of the priest. When Apsara asked the priest the reason for leprosy, he told her the whole story. Apsara told the priest that to get rid of this leprosy, one should fast on sixteen Mondays. The priest asked what is the way to fast. On Monday, after taking a bath and wearing clean clothes, one should make a panjiri from half a kilo of flour. It should be divided into three parts and Lord Shiva should be worshipped on Pradosh, then one third of the panjiri should be given as prasad to the people who come for the aarti. This method should be followed for sixteen Mondays. On the 17th Monday, make churma from a quarter of wheat flour, offer it to Lord Shiva and distribute it among the people, this will cure your leprosy. In this way, by fasting on sixteen Mondays, his leprosy was cured and he started feeling happy.
One day Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati returned to that temple and found the priest completely healthy. Mata Parvati asked the priest the secret of improving her health. The priest told that his leprosy was cured because he fasted on 16 Mondays. Mata Parvati was very happy to hear this fast. Her son also observed this fast, which brought him back home and became obedient. The narrator asked his mother the reason for her mental change, which brought her back home. Mata Parvati told him the reason behind all this was the worship of sixteen Mondays. Kartikeya became very happy on hearing this.
To observe that fast, Kartikeya returned from abroad to meet his distant Brahmin friend. On the completion of sixteen Mondays, his friend returned to meet him. Kartikeya told his friend the glory of the worship of sixteen Mondays. On hearing this, the Brahmin friend also thought of performing the worship of sixteen Mondays for marriage. One day the king was preparing to get his daughter married. Many princes came to marry the king’s daughter. The king made a bet that whoever’s neck the female elephant garlands him, his daughter will be married to him. That Brahmin was also the same, and luckily the female elephant garlanded him. As per the condition, the king married his daughter to that Brahmin.
One day the princess asked the Brahmin that what good deed did the elephant do by putting the garland around your neck leaving all the other princes behind? He said, dear, I told my friend Kartikeya that I used to keep the sixteen Monday fast, so I got a bride like Lakshmi. Hearing this, the princess was very impressed and kept a fast on sixteen Mondays to get a son. She gave birth to a beautiful son. When the son grew up, he asked the mother what did you do that you got a son like me. The mother also told him the glory of sixteen Mondays.
Hearing this, he also kept these fasts for the kingdom. The king was looking for a groom for his daughter’s marriage, so people told him the right groom. As soon as the king got the information, he married his daughter to that boy. The king had no son, so he became the king after a few years. Even after getting the kingdom, he kept fasting on Mondays. He also asked his wife to worship in the Shiva temple on the 17th Monday fast, but she did not come herself and sent a maid. When the Brahmin’s son finished his prayers, a voice from the sky said that you should keep your wife out of your palace, otherwise you will be destroyed. The Brahmin’s son was very surprised to hear this.
On returning to the palace, he also told his courtiers. The courtiers said that the person because of whom he had got the kingdom, he will be thrown out of the palace. But the Brahmin’s son threw her out of the palace. The princess reached an unknown city hungry and thirsty. An old woman was going to the market to sell thread there. She saw the princess and asked her to help her in business. The princess also carried a basket on her head. After walking some distance, she was blown away by a storm. Now the old woman started crying and considering the princess a fool, asked her to go away.
Then she went to the house of an oilman, where all the oil pots broke and oil started flowing. That oilman also considered her a fool and threw her out from there. Later she reached a beautiful pond, and as soon as she started drinking water, insects started crawling in it, due to which the whole pond became murky. Cursing her misfortune, she drank dirty water and slept under the tree, whose leaves fell off. Now whenever she went near any tree, its leaves would fall.
Seeing this, people went to the temple priest. Understanding the pain of that princess, the priest said, “Daughter, you live in my family, I will keep you like my daughter, you will not have any problem in my ashram.” She started living in the ashram like this, now when she would cook food or bring water, insects would get into it.
When to Start the Solah Somvar Vrat
This fast can be started from any Monday, but the most auspicious time to start it is considered to be the first Monday of Shravan month (July – August), month dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Solah Somvar Vrat Puja Vidhi
Preparation
- Wake up during Brahma Muhurta, bathe, and wear clean white clothes
- Clean your home temple or worship place
- Place an idol of Lord Shiva or Shivling
Essential Puja Samagri
- Ganga Jal, milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar (for Panchamrit)
- Belpatra, dhatura, white flowers, bhang
- Incense (dhoop), diya, chandan, ashtagandh
- Naivedya: Panjiri or fruits
- A clean cloth and a small mat for sitting
Puja Vidhi
- Take sankalp by holding water, rice, betel leaf, coin, and supari
- Perform Abhishek with Panchamrit and Ganga Jal
- Apply chandan and offer Belpatra, flowers, dhatura
- Light incense and ghee lamp
- Recite the Solah Somvar Vrat Katha
- Chant “Om Namah Shivaya” or “Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra” 108 times
- Offer bhog and conclude with aarti
- Maintain the fast with only milk, fruits, or vrat friendly food (no grains, onion, garlic, or tea/coffee)
17th Somvar Puja: Conclusion Ritual
On the seventeenth Monday prepare churma of roasted wheat flour with ghee and jaggery and offer it to Lord Shiva. Distribute it among devotees and the needy. Tie a holy Rakshasutra on your wrist to ensure the fulfillment and protection of your Vrat Sankalp.
Do’s and Don’ts of Solah Somvar Vrat
Do’s
- Recite or listen to the vrat katha every Monday
- Follow cleanliness during puja and in thoughts
- Distribute prasad to family and neighbors
- Maintain self-discipline throughout the day
Don’ts
- Avoid salt, grains, onion, garlic, tea, and non-veg
- Don’t skip any Monday. If missed, extend the cycle
- Avoid arguments, lies, and negative speech
- Don’t perform the vrat with half-hearted devotion
Spiritual and Practical Benefits of Solah Somvar Vrat
Spiritual Upliftment
- Cleanses past sins and karmic burdens
- Sharpens focus, promotes peace and self-control
- Deepens connection with divine consciousness
Personal Life
- Enhances chances of getting married to the right partner
- Heals relationships and brings stability in family life
- Helps conceive or overcome fertility-related challenges
Astrological & Health Benefits
- Strengthens Moon in the birth chart (emotional strength)
- May help reduce effects of mental stress or anxiety
- Supports fasting-based detox and lifestyle improvement
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Can I observe Solah Somvar Vrat without a Shivling?
Yes, you may use a photo of Lord Shiva or even visualise Him with faith during puja. - What if I miss one Monday?
Add an extra Monday at the end to complete sixteen. Avoid skipping if possible. - Can I do this with a regular working schedule?
Yes. You can do the puja early in the morning or after work. Just maintain purity and intention. - Do I need to be vegetarian during the entire 16 weeks?
At least on Mondays, strictly observe dietary rules. Some devotees follow a full sattvik lifestyle throughout. - Who can observe Solah Somvar vrat?
Anyone with faith (male or female, married or unmarried, young or old) can observe Solah Somvar vrat for peace, marriage, or spiritual growth.
Solah Somvar Vrat helps develop self-control, mental clarity, compassion and spiritual stability. When you observe the Solah Somvar Vrat with devotion (bhakti), you are blessed with the divine grace of Lord Shiva. If this fast is observed with a pure heart and discipline, it turns to be a turning point in your spiritual and personal life.
