Soma vara vratam

One of the name of Lord shiva is soma - saha uma. For the Lord someshvara Who wears the soma, the moon crescent on the matted hair, on the somavara day (Monday), this festival is observed.

When observed

Though all Mondays can be observed as vrata there are speacial mondays when it is much more emphasised to observe like the shravana somvara and karthikai somavaram. According to skandha purana, on the Mondays of the month karthikai (mid Nov to mid Dec) this vrata is observed.

Way of observing

Getting up at the dawn one meditates on the Supreme shiva. After taking bath and having done the morning twilight salutation, praying the Auspicious and Graceful Lord shiva, worships the couples who are devotees of the Lord, chaste and loveful as the Divines couple parvati-paramEshawara themselves. Saluting those couples, offering them feast, the observer of this vratam eats only one time food that day. If unable to do the worship, then one would go to the temple and salute and pray the uma-maheshwara. Anointing the Lord with panychamr itam and other pleasent substances, hailing the Lord offering bilva leaves, not being money-minded offering the nice food materials to the Lord, sharing the food with the kind hearted devotees one eats the food. One may fast also completely.