Is Aashadh July 2026 Amavasya Somvati Amavas? Should you keep fast on July 13 or 14? Check vrat, snan, donation date & time

Lord Shiva’s devotees are confused this week by a calendar oddity: July’s Amavasya, the new moon day, is spread over two days, July 13 and July 14, and most panchangs don’t even mark it as Somvati. Amavasya is considered one of the most important days in the Hindu calendar reserved for honoring ancestors. Devotees traditionally bathe in a sacred river, offer donations and perform tarpan rituals for deceased ancestors, believing it brings peace, prosperity and punya (spiritual value). When the new moon arrives on Monday, it becomes Somvati Amavasya, a date that many consider particularly auspicious. But this year the odd timing of tithi has thrown that certainty into doubt.

When is Amavasya in July? Somvati Amavasya?

According to Panchang, Amavasya tithi begins at 6:08 pm on Monday, July 13, just before sunset. Tithi will continue the next day and will finally end on Tuesday, July 14 at 15:14. This two-day spread is why devotees are unsure which day counts as the “true” Somvati Amavasya.

Somvati Amavasya July 2026: Should one fast on July 13 or July 14?

According to the NBT report quoting Pandit Rakesh Jha, Vaidehi Panchang, Vishwavidyalaya Panchang and shastric tradition all agree on one point: “If Amavasya tithi begins even one minute before sunset, Somvati Amavasya fast should be observed on the same day.” Since Tithi reaches 6:08 pm on Monday, before sunset in most places, July 13 becomes the day to keep the vrat, no matter what some calendars say. Interestingly, in some areas sunset extends even later, strengthening the case for fasting on the 13th.

Amavasya Bath Ritual and Donations Arrive One Day Later

Here’s the twist that makes this year’s Amavasya truly extraordinary: While the fast falls on Monday, the actual washing, charity and ancestral rites will take place a day later, on Tuesday, July 14. And this creates a rare double feature, as Tuesday’s Amavasya bears its name in the tradition, with the fast belonging to Somvati Amavasya while the rituals technically fall under Tuesday’s version, Bhaumvati Amavasya. same new moon.

Somvati Amavasya is particularly revered in the Hindu faith. Fasting on this day is said to bring good luck and spiritual value, and married women traditionally worship Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati as part of this worship. The day also has a special weight for the lookout tree; It is believed that devotees who circumambulate Somvati Amavasya and worship the watch tree will get auspicious results.