Solah Somvar fasting holds special significance in Hinduism. All these days are dedicated to Lord Shiva. Anyone can fast on this sixteen Mondays, but unmarried girls do it especially so that they can get the desired groom. On this day Shiva devotees fast for the whole day to get the blessings of Lord Shiva. After fasting for the whole day, one should take food during the day time i.e. one can take food once in the whole day.
Shiva, Parvati, Ganesh and Nandi are worshiped in this fast. Water, Milk, Curd, Sugar, Ghee, Honey, Panchamrit, Kalava, Clothing, Yagyopaveet, Sandalwood, Roli, Rice, Flowers, Vilvapatra, Eastern, Vijaya, Arak, Datura, Kamal Gatta, Betel nut, Clove, Cardamom, Panchmeva, Lord Shiva should be worshiped with incense, and dakshina. There is a law to eat food only once after worship. One should listen to the greatness of this Dil Solah Somwar Vrat Katha.
Once upon a time Shri Bhagwan Mahadev ji came with Mother Parvati, wishing to live in the world of death. Amravati city of Vidarbha country, which was full of all pleasures, there was a very beautiful Shiva temple by the king, where he started living. Once Parvati ji wished to play Chausar. Then on the entry of the priest in the temple, Mother asked who would win in this battle? So the brahmin said that of Mahadev ji. But Parvati won. Then he cursed the Brahmin to be a leper for the crime of lying. After many days, the Apsaras of Devlok, came to that temple and seeing him asked the reason. The priest without hesitation told everything. Then the Apsaras were consoled and told to keep fast on sixteen Mondays. On asking the method, he also told the method as above. With this, by the grace of Shiva, all the desires are fulfilled. Then the Apsaras went to heaven. The Brahmin lived his life free from diseases by observing a fast on Mondays. A few days later, on the arrival of Shiva Parvati, Parvati ji asked the reason for her recovery. Then the brahmin narrated the whole story. Then Parvati ji also observed the same fast and her wish was fulfilled. His estranged son Kartikeya became obedient to his mother. But Kartikeya ji asked the reason for his change of mind. Then Parvati ji told the same story to him too. Then Swami Kartikeya ji also observed the same fast. His wish also came true. After asking him his friend Brahmin observed the same fast. Then that brahmin went abroad and went to a kingdom's swayamvara. There the king had vowed that an elephant would marry a garland around whose neck he would marry his daughter. There, by the grace of Shiva, the elephant put the garland around the Brahmin's neck. The king got his daughter married to him. On asking the girl, the Brahmin told her the story. Then that girl also observed the same fast and got a beautiful son. Later that son also observed the same fast and got the kingdom of an old king. When the new king went to worship on Monday, his wife did not go because of disbelief. On completion of the worship, Akash said that Rajan should leave this girl, otherwise you will be destroyed. In the end he expelled the queen from the kingdom. That queen came to another city crying hungry and thirsty. There he met an old lady.
He found an old lady who made threads. She started working with him, but on the second day when she went out to sell the thread, suddenly there was a strong wind and all the threads flew away, then the mistress got angry and threw her out of work. Then while crying, she reached the house of a teller, the teller kept her, but on her way to the store house, the oil pots fell and the oil flowed out, then that teller threw her out of the house. In this way, after being removed from all the places, she reached a beautiful forest, when she grew to drink water from the pond, the pond dried up, little water was left which was full of insects. After drinking the same water, she sat under a tree, but immediately the leaves of that tree fell. In this way the tree under which she passed would become devoid of leaves, just like the whole forest came to dry. Seeing this, some shepherds took the queen to the priest of a Shiva temple. There the queen told the whole thing on the request of the priest and after hearing the priest said that you have been cursed by Shiva. When the queen requested and asked, the priest told the remedy for its solution and told the method of fasting on Monday. The queen completed the fast wholeheartedly and on the seventeenth Monday due to the grace of Shiva, the king changed his mind. The king sent messengers to find the queen. After finding out, the king sent a call but the priest said send the king himself. The king thought on this and reached himself. Reached the door with the queen and gave her place. Happiness was celebrated in the whole city, the king donated a lot to the poor and, being a devotee of Shiva, started fasting on 16 Mondays and after enjoying all the pleasures of the world, he went to Shivdham. In this way, whoever observes 16 Mondays with full devotion, he will attain supreme happiness in this world and finally attain liberation in the hereafter.