Chaturmasya

Chaturmasya (Sanskrit: चातुर्मास्य, lit. 'Cāturmāsya'; Pali: Catumāsa), also rendered Chāturmāsa, is a holy period of four months, observed across major Indian religions during the annual monsoon season. The name comes directly from the Sanskrit words chatur, which means "four", and māsa, which means "month". It is a dedicated time for both monastics and lay householders to practice special vows, fasting, and spiritual discipline. The practice originally began with early wandering monks who stopped traveling during the heavy rains to avoid accidentally harming the rapid increase of plant and insect life. During the medieval period, this seasonal retreat became closely linked with wealthy trade guilds and town bankers who funded the housing and care of the stationary monks. In Hinduism, the period tracks the four months from Shayani Ekadashi, when the deity Vishnu enters a spiritual sleep, until he wakes up on Prabodhini Ekadashi. Hindu householders observe these months by giving up favorite foods or keeping special fasting vows, while also celebrating major festivals like Guru Purnima, Ganesha Chaturthi, and Navaratri. In Jainism, this mandatory stay is called Varshayog and is strictly required for all monks and nuns to follow their primary vow of nonviolence. The Jain retreat features the reading of the Kalpa Sutra scripture during the festival of Paryushana and concludes with a formal ceremony for mutual forgiveness. Similarly, the Buddhist version of this retreat is called Vassa, which requires a fixed three-month stay that ends with the Kathina festival where the community donates new robes to the monks.