Sharad Ritu शरद
Clear skies and the great festivals of the Goddess and of light.
- Season
- Autumn
- Around
- mid-September to mid-November
The season
Sharad, autumn, spans Ashwin and Kartika (roughly mid-September to mid-November). It holds the most celebrated festivals of the year - Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali - and closes Chaturmas with Prabodhini Ekadashi.
Sharad is autumn, when the rains withdraw and the sky clears to its brightest moon. It is the season of the Goddess and of light, carrying the year's grandest festivals.
Ritucharya - the seasonal regimen
Autumn aggravates the pitta built up in the rains, so the regimen cools and cleanses: sweet, bitter and light foods, moonlight and cooling drinks, while avoiding oily, sour, salty and hot fare. The Sharad Purnima kheer, left out under the full moon, belongs to this season.
Festivals of Sharad
Sharad Navratri, Durga Ashtami and Dussehra; Sharad (Kojagiri) Purnima; Karwa Chauth; the five days of Diwali; and, as Chaturmas ends, Prabodhini Ekadashi, Tulsi Vivah and Kartik Purnima.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sharad ritu?
Sharad, autumn, spans Ashwin and Kartika (roughly mid-September to mid-November). It holds the most celebrated festivals of the year - Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali - and closes Chaturmas with Prabodhini Ekadashi.
Which months are in the Sharad season?
Sharad spans the two lunar months of Ashwin and Kartika, roughly mid-September to mid-November.
What festivals fall in Sharad?
Sharad Navratri, Durga Ashtami and Dussehra; Sharad (Kojagiri) Purnima; Karwa Chauth; the five days of Diwali; and, as Chaturmas ends, Prabodhini Ekadashi, Tulsi Vivah and Kartik Purnima.
What is the ritucharya (regimen) for Sharad?
Autumn aggravates the pitta built up in the rains, so the regimen cools and cleanses: sweet, bitter and light foods, moonlight and cooling drinks, while avoiding oily, sour, salty and hot fare. The Sharad Purnima kheer, left out under the full moon, belongs to this season.
Last updated 26 July 2026