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Why Shravan Is The Month Of Veg Foods?

According to the Hindu calender, Shravan is the month of rains. It usually starts in mid July and lasts till mid August. It is the month when the Monsoons hit the Indian peninsula and torrential rains follow. Mostly Hindus do not eat non-vegetarian food during this month. This is more like a norm or tradition than a religious practice. There is no conclusive statement in the scriptures to say that shravan should be a month of eating vegetarian food.

Here are some of the possible reasons for eating only vegetarian food during the month of Shravan. These include both religious and scientific reasons.

Shravan

Why Hindus Don't Eat Non-Vegetarian Food In Shravan?

Holier Than Thou
: Shravan is supposed to be the holiest month of the Hindu calendar. It is full of festivals and minor celebrations. Raksha Bandhan is a major festival that comes during this month. Other festivals include Naag Panchami, Onam, Kajori Purnima etc.

Lord Shiva's Month: Shravan is the holy month of Lord Shiva. There is a special 'Sawan Shivaratri' celebrated in the month of Shravan. 'Sawan' means the rainy season. As the actual Shivaratri comes in March, this Shivratri is specifically for the rainy season. Every Monday (day of week dedicated to Lord Shiva) is called Shravan Somvar. All the 4 Shravan Somvars are special and you are supposed to be fasting for them. As Shiva's chosen month, every day of this month is laden with religious significance, so Hindus avoid non vegetarian food in this month.

Rain-borne Diseases: This is the month in which the monsoons are in full blast. The rains bring a whole lot of water borne diseases with them. The general hygiene is bad and you never know what infection you might catch. Hindus believe that meat during this month has more chances of being infected. So it is better to avoid meat.

The Breeding Season: Shravan in mythological terms is the month of love and romance. Practically it is the breeding season for most of the animals. Fishing during this time is prohibited by Hindu laws as the female fish have eggs in their stomach. It is a sin to kill animals when they are pregnant or hatching eggs. That is why Hindus avoid meat and fish during this month.

The reason for eating only vegetarian foods during the month of Shravan have both religious and scientific explanations. Do you know any other reason for the same?

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