Why Do Millions of Indians Fast for Lord Shiva on Mondays? The Deeper Story
Riya Kumari | Jun 30, 2025, 12:45 IST
In an era where most of us are swiping for meaning and scrolling for answers, millions of people still wake up on a Monday, look at the sky, and decide to fast—for faith, for focus, for a deeper connection to something ancient and infinite. And that’s kind of romantic, isn’t it? So next Monday, if someone tells you they’re not eating because it’s Shiva’s day, maybe don’t ask them if it’s keto. Just smile. Nod. And maybe light a diya in your heart for the one who turned poison into peace.
In a world where Mondays are dreaded, rushed through, or numbed out with caffeine and complaints, there exists a parallel reality—millions of Indians choosing silence over noise, restraint over indulgence, faith over frenzy. They fast. They pray. They remember Shiva. But why? Why would anyone voluntarily forgo food on the most mentally exhausting day of the week? Because sometimes, not doing is the most powerful thing we can do.
Shiva Is Not a God of Answers. He’s a God of Awareness
Shiva doesn’t demand temples. He doesn’t bribe with heaven. He doesn’t promise miracles in return for rituals. He sits quietly. Eyes closed. Still. Present. In him, there is a reminder—not of what to chase, but what to shed. Shiva is destruction, yes, but not in the violent, fearsome way we think. He destroys the unnecessary. The false. The extra. Ego, illusion, overthinking, overconsumption—the chaos we don’t even realize we carry.
Fasting on Mondays—Somvar Vrat—is not about punishment or superstition. It's about alignment. It’s a personal decision to pause, to undo, to let go.
Monday Is the Mind. Shiva Is the One Who Masters It
Monday is governed by the Moon—Som—which in Indian thought represents the mind: fickle, ever-shifting, full of moods and madness. Fasting on this day isn’t just about the body. It’s about stilling the mind. It’s choosing clarity over confusion, discipline over distraction.
The fast becomes a subtle conversation with your inner self: “Can I sit still, when everything inside me wants to run?” It’s a reset. A soft rebellion against a world that never stops.
This Isn’t About Religion. It’s About Remembering
Whether you believe in Shiva as a divine figure, a symbol, or a story, his presence in Indian culture isn’t loud. It’s enduring. He doesn’t come with commandments, only an invitation: Come as you are. And then, let go of what you are not. The Monday fast isn’t about impressing a god. It’s about becoming a little more god-like: calm, detached, aware.
You don’t have to believe in myths to understand the message. You just have to be human enough to know what it feels like to be overwhelmed, overstimulated, overfed—and quietly hungry for something else.
In a World That Consumes, This Is a Practice of Emptying
We are constantly taking in—news, opinions, screens, snacks, noise, more noise. We’re full, but rarely fulfilled. Fasting, even once a week, is a radical act. Not because it changes how the world sees you—but because it changes how you see the world.
On Mondays, those who fast are not starving. They are strengthening. They are choosing awareness over autopilot. Silence over scroll. Shiva over survival mode.
Maybe the Fast Is a Mirror. Maybe That’s Why It Feels So Hard
It’s easy to act powerful. It’s hard to be still. To be hungry, and not reach for a snack. To be restless, and not open another tab. To be confused, and not demand answers—but sit, breathe, and let things fall into place in their own time. That’s the Shiva way. That’s the Somvar fast. When you fast for Shiva, you’re not just abstaining from food. You’re abstaining from everything that eats you—anxiety, attachment, overthinking, comparison, craving.
You’re not doing it to be seen. You’re doing it to see. So the next time Monday arrives and the world rushes ahead, maybe pause. Even for a moment. Even if you don’t fast, you can still listen to what your mind is saying when it’s not being fed with constant input. You might hear something deeper. You might hear Shiva.
Shiva Is Not a God of Answers. He’s a God of Awareness
Shiva
( Image credit : Pexels )
Shiva doesn’t demand temples. He doesn’t bribe with heaven. He doesn’t promise miracles in return for rituals. He sits quietly. Eyes closed. Still. Present. In him, there is a reminder—not of what to chase, but what to shed. Shiva is destruction, yes, but not in the violent, fearsome way we think. He destroys the unnecessary. The false. The extra. Ego, illusion, overthinking, overconsumption—the chaos we don’t even realize we carry.
Fasting on Mondays—Somvar Vrat—is not about punishment or superstition. It's about alignment. It’s a personal decision to pause, to undo, to let go.
Monday Is the Mind. Shiva Is the One Who Masters It
Happy
( Image credit : Pexels )
Monday is governed by the Moon—Som—which in Indian thought represents the mind: fickle, ever-shifting, full of moods and madness. Fasting on this day isn’t just about the body. It’s about stilling the mind. It’s choosing clarity over confusion, discipline over distraction.
The fast becomes a subtle conversation with your inner self: “Can I sit still, when everything inside me wants to run?” It’s a reset. A soft rebellion against a world that never stops.
This Isn’t About Religion. It’s About Remembering
Apple
( Image credit : Pexels )
Whether you believe in Shiva as a divine figure, a symbol, or a story, his presence in Indian culture isn’t loud. It’s enduring. He doesn’t come with commandments, only an invitation: Come as you are. And then, let go of what you are not. The Monday fast isn’t about impressing a god. It’s about becoming a little more god-like: calm, detached, aware.
You don’t have to believe in myths to understand the message. You just have to be human enough to know what it feels like to be overwhelmed, overstimulated, overfed—and quietly hungry for something else.
In a World That Consumes, This Is a Practice of Emptying
Detox
( Image credit : Pexels )
We are constantly taking in—news, opinions, screens, snacks, noise, more noise. We’re full, but rarely fulfilled. Fasting, even once a week, is a radical act. Not because it changes how the world sees you—but because it changes how you see the world.
On Mondays, those who fast are not starving. They are strengthening. They are choosing awareness over autopilot. Silence over scroll. Shiva over survival mode.
Maybe the Fast Is a Mirror. Maybe That’s Why It Feels So Hard
You’re not doing it to be seen. You’re doing it to see. So the next time Monday arrives and the world rushes ahead, maybe pause. Even for a moment. Even if you don’t fast, you can still listen to what your mind is saying when it’s not being fed with constant input. You might hear something deeper. You might hear Shiva.