Sravana Masam Thursday (Guruvaram) Rituals 2026: Brihaspati Vrat Puja Vidhi, Dates & Mantras

Quick answer: Sravana Masam Thursdays (Guruvaram) 2026 fall on 13, 20, 27 August and 3, 10 September. The day is dedicated to Brihaspati (Jupiter, the Devaguru) and Sri Maha Vishnu, with the banana tree worshipped where no temple is near. Devotees wear yellow, offer chana dal and turmeric, chant Om Brim Brihaspataye Namaha, and take a single saltless meal.

Quick answer: In 2026, Sravana Masam Thursdays (Guruvaramulu) fall on 13 August, 20 August, 27 August, 3 September and 10 September in the Telugu Amanta calendar. The day is dedicated to Brihaspati — the Devaguru, lord of Jupiter — and to Sri Maha Vishnu. Devotees bathe before sunrise, wear yellow, worship the banana tree or a Vishnu murti, offer chana dal, turmeric, yellow flowers and bananas, chant Om Brim Brihaspataye Namaha, recite the Vishnu Sahasranama, and take a single saltless meal.

Of all the weekday vratams in Sravana Masam, Guruvaram has the longest reach. Monday is about liberation, Friday about abundance; Thursday is about the arrival of a guiding intelligence in your life — a teacher, a mentor, sound judgement, the right marriage, the right decision at the right time. Brihaspati is the preceptor of the gods themselves, and in Vedic astrology the greatest benefic in the chart.

Sravana Masam Guruvaram 2026 dates

Sravana Masam 2026 runs from 13 August to 11 September (Telugu Amanta calendar). This year the month opens on a Thursday and contains five of them:

For North Indian devotees (Purnimanta calendar), Sawan 2026 runs 30 July–28 August, and the Brihaspativar dates are 30 July, 6, 13, 20 and 27 August 2026. The month opening on Guruvaram (13 August) makes this a particularly favourable year to begin a Brihaspati Vratam sankalpam. Note: tithi-based observances can shift by a day between panchangams; confirm with your family purohit or local panchangam.

Why Thursday matters in Sravana Masam

• Guru (Jupiter) is the karaka of jnana (knowledge), dharma, santana (progeny), dhana (wealth) and — critically for women’s horoscopes — vivaha (marriage).
• Jupiter is the greatest benefic in Jyotisha; his aspect (guru drishti) is said to purify whatever house it falls upon.
• Brihaspati governs teachers, priests, lawyers, judges, advisors, scholars and anyone whose work is to guide others.

In short: Somavaram is for moksha, Budhavaram is for buddhi, and Guruvaram is for jnana, vivaha and santanam — wisdom, marriage and progeny.

Which deity is worshipped on Sravana Guruvaram?

Three layers: (1) Brihaspati Dev (Guru Graha) — worshipped with yellow: yellow cloth, yellow flowers, turmeric, chana dal, jaggery and bananas; the graha-shanti layer. (2) Sri Maha Vishnu — Thursday is a Vaishnava day; the murti may be Vishnu with Lakshmi, Sri Venkateswara (Tirumala’s Thursday abhishekam is famous), or Sri Krishna; the Vishnu Sahasranama is central. (3) Kadali Vriksha — the banana tree, worshipped as the living representation of Brihaspati and Vishnu where no temple is nearby; the most widespread household form, especially for mothers observing the vrat for a daughter’s marriage. Telugu households also honour Sri Raghavendra Swamy, Sri Dattatreya and Sri Dakshinamurthy; many homes across India worship Shirdi Sai Baba on this day.

Sravana Masam Thursday puja vidhi: step by step

1. Before sunrise — snanam and sankalpam: bathe (a body bath only — hair is not washed on Guruvaram), clean the mandir, draw a fresh muggu, wear yellow (or white), apply a turmeric/saffron tilakam, face east/north-east and take sankalpam declaring your count of Thursdays.
2. Kadali Vriksha puja (banana tree): water the base with turmeric water, apply turmeric and kumkum to the trunk, tie a yellow thread, offer yellow flowers, chana dal and jaggery at the root, light a ghee lamp and do three pradakshinams. No banana tree? Place a banana leaf and banana before the Vishnu murti as a symbolic substitute.
3. Vishnu puja: bathe the murti with panchamrutam then water; offer tulsi (at least 12 leaves), yellow flowers (marigold, yellow mandara, yellow roses), two ghee lamps (a third by the Tulsi Kota) and sambrani; perform Vishnu Ashtottara Shatanamavali or a full Vishnu Sahasranama parayanam.
4. Brihaspati aradhana: face north-east; offer yellow cloth, chana dal (senaga pappu), turmeric root, bananas and jaggery; chant Om Brim Brihaspataye Namaha (or the Guru beeja mantra Om Graam Greem Graum Sah Gurave Namaha) 16, 21 or 108 times.
5. Naivedyam, katha and aarti: offer naivedyam, perform karpura harati and three pradakshinams, read the Guruvar Vrat Katha, and conclude with kshama prarthana.
6. Evening deepam and breaking the fast: at dusk light a lamp before the Tulsi Kota, chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya 108 times; the fast is broken after the evening puja.

Naivedyam: what to offer

Everything for Brihaspati is yellow and sweet: Senaga Pappu (Chana Dal) Sundal (the classic Guruvaram naivedyam), Besan Halwa or Besan Laddu (the traditional North Indian offering), bananas (in odd numbers, or sixteens for the sixteen-Thursday vrat), chana dal payasam, rava kesari, turmeric-tinted rice or pulihora, and yellow fruits (mango, pineapple, yellow melon). Avoid onion, garlic and tamasic ingredients.

Fasting rules: how to keep Brihaspati Vratam

The Thursday vratam is a moderate fast with one distinctive rule — no salt. It begins at sunrise and concludes after the evening puja. Take one meal, traditionally in the evening, that is saltless (alavana) — salt being considered rajasic and Guru’s grace requiring a sattvic state. Yellow foods are preferred; fruits, milk and buttermilk may be taken through the day. Avoid salt in the vratam meal, non-vegetarian food, eggs, onion, garlic, alcohol, daytime sleep — and do not eat a banana on the day you offer one (offer it and give it away as prasadam).

Who should not fast strictly: children, the elderly, pregnant and nursing women, diabetics, those with blood-pressure conditions for whom sodium is medically managed, and anyone on medication requiring food. The no-salt rule in particular should not be observed against medical advice. Perform the puja, chant the mantra, and eat what your health requires.

Do’s and don’ts on Sravana Masam Thursday

• DO: wear and offer yellow; donate chana dal, turmeric, yellow cloth, bananas or jaggery; give dakshina, books or food to a teacher, priest or student; feed a cow with jaggery and chana; honour the banana tree or Tulsi plant; visit a Vishnu, Venkateswara, Dattatreya or Raghavendra Swamy temple.
• DON’T: wash your hair (the most widely observed Guruvaram restriction); cut hair or nails; do laundry; eat bananas on the day you offer them; lend or borrow money; speak ill of a teacher, elder, priest or guru (said to cancel the vratam entirely); consume non-vegetarian food anywhere in the household.

Who should especially observe Sravana Guruvaram

• Mothers of unmarried daughters — the most common reason the sixteen-Thursday vrat is kept (Jupiter is the karaka of marriage)
• Couples seeking santana prapti (progeny)
• Students and scholars, especially in higher study or research
• Teachers, professors, lawyers, judges, advisors, priests and consultants — Jupiter-governed professions
• Anyone running Guru dasha/bhukti, or with Jupiter debilitated, combust or affected by Guru Chandala Dosha
• Those seeking a guru or clarity in a major life decision

Sravana Guruvaram for NRI devotees

Follow your local sunrise, not IST. Substitute freely — banana plants are unavailable in most temperate climates, so offer a banana and a banana leaf before the Vishnu murti instead (fully accepted); chana dal, besan, turmeric and bananas are in every Indian grocery worldwide; use a home-grown tulsi leaf or betel leaf with a prarthana for substitution. The no-salt meal travels well — a saltless khichdi or besan halwa satisfies the rule. Guruvaram is among the easiest Sravana vratams for a diaspora household: yellow clothing, a lamp, a mantra and a saltless meal need no temple or purohit.

Udyapanam: concluding the vratam

If you have kept Brihaspati Vratam for the five Thursdays of Sravana Masam, or the traditional sixteen Thursdays (Solah Guruvar), close it with udyapanam: an extended puja with a full Vishnu Sahasranama parayanam; offer sixteen yellow flowers, sixteen pieces of yellow cloth and sixteen bananas; prepare besan halwa or motichoor laddu as the principal naivedyam; feed the prasadam to at least five people or a group of students; donate yellow cloth, chana dal, turmeric, a yellow gemstone (if affordable) and dakshina to a purohit.

Sravana Masam gives you Shiva on Monday and Lakshmi on Friday — liberation and abundance. Thursday sits between them and offers the thing that makes both usable: guidance. Wear yellow on 20 August, water the banana tree with turmeric water or set a banana before Sri Vishnu, say Om Brim Brihaspataye Namaha sixteen times, eat one saltless meal after dusk — and speak of every teacher, elder and guide in your life with respect for the whole of that day. Shubham Bhavatu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which god is worshipped on Thursday in Sravana Masam?

Brihaspati — the Devaguru and lord of Jupiter — together with Sri Maha Vishnu. Where there is no nearby temple, the banana tree is worshipped as the living representation of both. Telugu families also honour Sri Raghavendra Swamy, Sri Dattatreya and Sri Venkateswara.

What are the Sravana Masam Thursday dates in 2026?

Telugu Amanta calendar: 13, 20 and 27 August, and 3 and 10 September 2026 (five Thursdays). North Indian Purnimanta calendar: 30 July and 6, 13, 20 and 27 August 2026.

Why is salt avoided on Thursday?

Salt is regarded as rajasic; avoiding it on Brihaspati’s day is a deliberate dietary tapas supporting the sattvic state Guru’s grace is said to require. It is strict in traditional observance but should never be kept against medical advice.

Why should hair not be washed on Thursday?

The most widely followed Guruvaram restriction; the traditional explanation is that washing hair on Guru’s day washes away Lakshmi’s presence and accumulated grace. Practices differ by region and family.

Can I keep Brihaspati Vratam if I have no banana tree?

Yes. Offer a banana and a banana leaf before a Vishnu murti instead. The banana tree is a representation, not a requirement.

Can unmarried women observe this vratam?

Yes, and it is strongly associated with them — the sixteen-Thursday vrat is classically kept by unmarried women seeking a suitable marriage, and by their mothers. The usual customary pause during monthly cycles applies.

How many Thursdays should the vratam be kept?

Sixteen is the most traditional count (Solah Guruvar); other counts are 7, 11, 21, 40, 48, 51 and 108. Keeping the five Thursdays of Sravana Masam alone is entirely meritorious.

Can I combine Guruvaram puja with other Sravana Masam vratams?

Yes. Somavaram, Mangala Gauri, Budhavaram, Guruvaram and Sukravaram complement rather than compete — keep whichever your family tradition and capacity allow.