The Health Significance of Ashad Month

Ashad (Ashada) Maas ki mahima

Ashad (Ashada) month, mausam, maas or mahina is the fourth month in traditional lunar Hindu calendar and consists of continuing summer with added humidity due to rain. It’s a part of dakshinayana with the start of longer nights compared to days.

From Ayurveda context it is a period of Pitta or metabolism predominance with Vata or movement accumulation. Chaturmas starts in Ashad month (14th July). The Chaturmas months are savan, bhado, ashwin and kartik. The start of savan and bhado months falls in rainy season with air or Vata aggravation in the environment and in the body especially in the mind.

In Ashad month with continuing Pitta aggravation (though reducing) diseases like typhoid, jaundice, and diarrhea continue to occur but due to start of rainy season rainy disease like malaria, dengue, chikungunya and electrical accidents gets added. Also with falling heat but with increase in humidity the heat index rises and hence the cases of heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke continue.

In terms of diet Vata or movement gets aggravated by bitter, astringent and pungent foods and Pitta or metabolism gets aggravated by pungent, sour and salty foods,  Pungent food being in common should be eaten less in this month of Ashad.

With the start of savan month one will need to avoid bitter, astringent and pungent foods especially the leafy vegetables.

The festivals of Ashad month are Devshyani ekadashi or the start of Chaturmas; Gupta Navratre, Jagannath yatra, Guru Purnima etc.

There are two Gupt (hidden) Navratre in a year. One is observed in the month of Magh (January – February) and the other is observed in the month of Ashad (June – July). Ashad Navratre is also known as Shakambari Navratre and Gayatri Navratre. In July 2011, Ashad Navratre starts from 2nd July to 9th July. It is observed during the Shukla paksha (waxing moon phase) of the month.  The main two famous Navratre fall in the months of Chaitra and Ashwin. There is another Navratre festival known as “Poushya Navigate.” It is celebrated in the months of December and January. Navratre means a nine days detoxification or purification period of the mind body and soul and is observed whenever there is a season change. The two main are observed at the start of the summer and the winter. Ashad Navratre is observed to prepare the body to bear the negativity observed in the Chaturmas rainy period.