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Indian Railway to serve only vegetarian food during 'Sawan' in THIS city

2 min read 02 Jul 2023, 11:54 AM IST Livemint ,Edited By Alka Jain

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will serve only vegetarian food during the month of 'Sawan' in Bihar's Bhagalpur district, with non-vegetarian food not being served from July 4.

IRCTC will serve only vegetarian food items during 'Sawan' month in Bihar's Bhagalpur.

In Bihar, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has announced that it will serve only vegetarian food items during the month of ‘Sawan' in the Bhagalpur district, an official said, adding that non-vegetarian food will not be served from July 4.

“In the month of Sawan, food will be served without onion and garlic. Fruits will also be given. This arrangement will be applicable throughout Sawan. Non-vegetarian food will be stopped from July 4. Cleanliness will be taken care of," said Pankaj Kumar, Manager of a food service stall as quoted by ANI.

Sawan will commence from July 4 to August 31 and last for 58 days this year. According to the Hindu calendar, Sawan is the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar and one of the holiest months of the year.

During this period, every Monday is regarded as a highly auspicious time to fast and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. Kanwar Yatra is a significant ritual in the month of Sawan.

People gather water from sacred rivers for this rite and place it in little mud pots known as Kanwars. Devotees don saffron-colored clothes while carrying the holy water and walk on foot to visit temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Devotees who are termed Kanwariyas visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh, and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of the River Ganga and then worship the God with that water.

July 10 marks the first fasting Monday of the period this year, while August 28 marks the last Monday fast of the period.

The Hindu calendar states that an extra month is added every three years when the Sun changes its zodiac sign or transits from one zodiac to another. This transit is also known as Sankranti.

As a result, there are 12 Sankranti in a solar year, and the month with no Sankranti is termed Malmas or Adhikmas. Typically, no auspicious or new tasks or rituals are performed during this month. Malmas will begin on July 18, 2023, and end on August 16, 2023, this year.

(With ANI inputs)