Sravana Masam Wednesday (Budhavaram) Rituals 2026: Puja Vidhi, Dates, Mantras & Fasting

Quick answer: Sravana Masam Wednesdays (Budhavaram) 2026 fall on 19 & 26 August and 2 & 9 September. The day is dedicated to Lord Vithala (a form of Krishna/Vishnu) and Budha Graha (Mercury), with Ganesha invoked first. Devotees wear green, offer green moong and tulsi, chant Om Bum Budhaya Namaha, and take a single satvik meal.

Quick answer: In 2026, Sravana Masam Wednesdays (Budhavaramulu) fall on 19 August, 26 August, 2 September and 9 September in the Telugu Amanta calendar. The day is dedicated to Lord Vithala — a form of Krishna and Vishnu — and to Budha Graha (Mercury), with Lord Ganesha invoked at the start. Devotees bathe early, wear green, offer green moong (pesalu), tulsi and green flowers, chant Om Bum Budhaya Namaha, recite the Vishnu Sahasranama, and take a single satvik meal.

Sravana Masam is the one month where every day of the week carries its own deity, colour and promise. Mondays belong to Shiva, Tuesdays to Gauri Devi, Fridays to Mahalakshmi — and in between sits Budhavaram (Wednesday), the day that governs intellect, speech, trade, learning and the steadiness of a marriage. Most families keep Somavaram and Sukravaram and let Wednesday slip past — a missed opportunity for anyone whose life runs on words, numbers, negotiation or study.

Sravana Masam Budhavaram 2026 dates

Sravana Masam 2026 runs from 13 August to 11 September (Telugu Amanta calendar), giving four Wednesdays:

For North Indian devotees (Purnimanta calendar), Sawan 2026 runs 30 July–28 August, and the Budhwar dates are 5, 12, 19 and 26 August 2026. The most auspicious is the first Wednesday of Shukla Paksham — 19 August 2026 — the classical day to begin a new Budhavara Vratam sankalpam. Note: tithi-based observances can shift by a day between panchangams; confirm with your family purohit or local panchangam.

Why Wednesday matters in Sravana Masam

• Budha (Mercury) is the graha of buddhi — intelligence, memory, analysis, speech, commerce and adaptability; the most gentle and benefic of the planets.
• Budha governs the Anahata (heart) chakra — which is why Budhavara vratam is associated with kindness, patience and forgiveness as much as sharp thinking.
• Wednesday is also the day of Lord Vithala (Vithoba) of Pandharpur, worshipped as a form of Sri Krishna.

Put simply: Sravana Somavaram is for moksha, Sukravaram is for aishwaryam, and Budhavaram is for buddhi, vaak-shuddhi and vyaparam — clarity of mind, purity of speech, and success in enterprise.

Which deity is worshipped on Sravana Budhavaram?

There are three layers, observed in sequence: (1) Lord Ganesha (Agra Puja) — every Budhavara Vratam opens with Vighneshwara puja, since Ganesha and Budha share the domain of intellect and the written word. (2) Lord Vithala / Sri Krishna / Sri Maha Vishnu (Pradhana Devata) — the presiding deity; the murti may be Vithala–Rukmini, Bala Krishna, or Vishnu with Lakshmi; Telugu households also worship Sri Venkateswara. (3) Budha Graha (Navagraha Puja) — the graha-shanti layer with green offerings and the Budha beeja mantra, prescribed for those with an afflicted or weak Mercury.

Sravana Masam Wednesday puja vidhi: step by step

1. Before sunrise — snanam and sankalpam: take an oil-free head bath, clean the mandir, draw a fresh muggu, wear green or white, face east/north-east, and take sankalpam (name, gotram, nakshatram, place, tithi, purpose).
2. Kalasha sthapana and Ganesha puja: place a kalasham with water, mango leaves and coconut; perform a brief Vighneshwara puja with 21 blades of durva grass and a modakam.
3. Vithala / Vishnu puja: bathe the murti with panchamrutam then water; offer tulsi (at least 12 leaves), green flowers, two ghee lamps (a third by the Tulsi Kota), and sambrani; perform Vishnu Ashtottara Shatanamavali or a full Vishnu Sahasranama parayanam.
4. Budha Graha aradhana: face north, offer whole green moong (pesalu), green cloth and green fruit (guava); chant Om Bum Budhaya Namaha (or the Budha beeja mantra Om Bram Breem Broum Sah Budhaya Namaha) 17, 21 or 108 times.
5. Naivedyam and aarti: offer naivedyam, perform karpura harati, three pradakshinams, read the Budhavara Vrata Katha, and conclude with kshama prarthana.
6. Evening deepam: at dusk, light a lamp before the Tulsi Kota and chant Om Namo Narayanaya 108 times.

Naivedyam: what to offer

Everything for Budha is green, whole and simple: Pesara Sundal (soaked whole green moong tempered with mustard, curry leaves, green chilli and coconut — the classic Budhavaram naivedyam), Pesara Payasam, Pesarattu, green fruits (guava, green grapes, green apple), appam/vada for Vithala and Krishna forms, and tulsi-infused theertham. Avoid onion, garlic and tamasic ingredients, as in all of Sravana Masam.

Fasting rules: how to keep Budhavara Vratam

The Wednesday vratam is a moderate fast. It begins at sunrise and concludes after the evening deepam. Take one satvik meal, ideally in the afternoon after the puja; fruits, milk, buttermilk and tender coconut water may be taken through the day; prefer green vegetables and moong. Couples traditionally keep it together for harmony in married life. Avoid non-vegetarian food, eggs, onion, garlic, alcohol and daytime sleep.

Who should not fast strictly: children, the elderly, pregnant and nursing women, diabetics, and anyone on medication requiring food. Devotion is the substance of the vratam; perform the puja, chant the mantra, and eat what your health requires.

Do’s and don’ts on Sravana Masam Wednesday

• DO: speak gently and truthfully all day (vaak-shuddhi is the real vratam); donate green moong, green cloth or bangles; give books, notebooks or pens to a student; feed green fodder or moong to a cow; begin new studies or a new business account.
• DON’T: lie, gossip, argue or break a promise (said to cancel the fruit entirely); cut nails or hair; lend or borrow money in the evening; waste green vegetables and grains; consume non-vegetarian food anywhere in the household.

Who should especially observe Sravana Budhavaram

• Students preparing for competitive exams and higher study
• Business owners, traders and entrepreneurs (Mercury is the karaka of commerce)
• Professionals in communication-heavy fields — teaching, law, media, sales, software, consulting
• Newly married couples (kept jointly for a peaceful family life)
• Anyone with Budha dasha/bhukti, or Mercury debilitated, combust or afflicted
• Those facing speech, memory, anxiety, skin or nervous-system difficulties

Sravana Budhavaram for NRI devotees

Follow your local sunrise, not IST — the vratam begins at sunrise where you stand; where a tithi spans two local days, follow the day on which the tithi is present at sunrise. Substitute freely: whole green mung beans are available everywhere; if tulsi is unavailable, use a home-grown leaf or offer betel leaf with a prarthana for substitution; guava can be replaced by any green fruit. The bhavana matters more than the botany. The Wednesday observance is almost always a home vratam, which makes it easy to keep consistently in a diaspora household.

Udyapanam: concluding the vratam

If you have kept Budhavara Vratam for all four Wednesdays — or the traditional 21 or 45 Wednesdays — close it with udyapanam on the final Wednesday: an extended puja with a full Vishnu Sahasranama parayanam; feed green moong-based prasadam to at least five people or a group of students; donate green cloth, green gram, an emerald or green stone (if affordable) and dakshina to a purohit; and offer a formal prarthana thanking Budha and Sri Vithala.

Sravana Masam gives you Shiva on Monday and Lakshmi on Friday. Wednesday gives you something quieter and no less useful: a clear mind, a truthful tongue, and steady dealings. Light one lamp on 19 August, offer a handful of green moong, say Om Bum Budhaya Namaha seventeen times, and keep your word to everyone you speak to that day. Shubham Bhavatu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which god is worshipped on Wednesday in Sravana Masam?

Lord Vithala — a form of Sri Krishna and Vishnu — is the presiding deity, worshipped alongside Budha Graha (Mercury). Lord Ganesha is invoked first.

What are the Sravana Masam Wednesday dates in 2026?

Telugu Amanta calendar: 19 August, 26 August, 2 September and 9 September 2026. North Indian Purnimanta calendar: 5, 12, 19 and 26 August 2026.

Can I start Budhavara Vratam on any Wednesday?

Traditionally begun on the first Wednesday of Shukla Paksham — 19 August 2026. If missed, beginning on any Wednesday of Sravana Masam with sincere sankalpam is entirely acceptable.

What colour should I wear for Budhavaram puja?

Green is the colour of Budha and most auspicious; white is an acceptable alternative. Avoid black and dark blue.

Can women observe Budhavara Vratam?

Yes — commonly kept by married couples together for family harmony, and independently by women and men for education, health and prosperity. The usual customary pause during monthly cycles applies; resume the following week without breaking the sankalpam.

Is fasting compulsory?

No. The mandatory elements are the morning bath, the puja, the mantra japam and the evening deepam. Fasting is meritorious but optional, and should be modified or skipped for health reasons.

What if I cannot do the full puja on a working Wednesday?

Perform a short vratam: bathe, light a ghee lamp, offer tulsi and a green fruit, chant Om Bum Budhaya Namaha 17 times, and speak truthfully all day. Consistency matters more than elaborateness.

Can I combine Budhavaram puja with other Sravana Masam vratams?

Yes. Somavaram, Mangala Gauri, Budhavaram and Sukravaram are complementary, not competing — keep whichever your family tradition and capacity allow.