Ritu · ऋतु · Summer
Grishma — ग्रीष्म
The season of peak heat, named from a root associated with scorching or burning — the last and most intense season of Adana Kala before the monsoon breaks it.
Grishma spans the Sanskrit months of Jyeshtha and Ashadha — roughly Mid-May to mid-July on the Gregorian calendar, though the exact overlap shifts slightly year to year the way all lunisolar months do. See the full six-Ritu cycle for how Grishma fits alongside the other five seasons.
Solstice half: Adana Kala (Uttarayana), at its most intense — the Sun and hot winds are described as being at their strongest.
Ritucharya — the traditional Ayurvedic regimen for Grishma
Seasonal diet and lifestyle guidance from classical Ayurvedic texts, chiefly the Charaka Samhita.
Doshas in this season
Vata accumulates through the dry heat, while Kapha is at its most settled and mild. Digestive fire (Agni) is traditionally described as weak in this heat, despite the intuition that hot weather should mean strong digestion.
Traditional diet (Ahara)
Sweet, unctuous, cooling and liquid foods are favoured — rice, moong dal, and plenty of fluids: buttermilk, fruit juices, and cooling drinks. Salty, pungent and sour tastes are traditionally minimised, as they're considered heating.
Traditional lifestyle (Vihara)
Traditional guidance recommends avoiding the midday sun, reducing strenuous exertion, and resting more than in other seasons — the opposite emphasis from Vasanta's advice to stay brisk and active.
This is a summary of traditional Ayurvedic seasonal guidance (Ritucharya), not medical advice — consult a qualified practitioner before making significant dietary or lifestyle changes, especially if you have an existing health condition.
Grishma in classical poetry
Kalidasa's Ritusamhara ("Gathering of the Seasons"), one of the earliest surviving Sanskrit works built entirely around the six-Ritu cycle, gives Grishma its first canto. The opening canto of the Ritusamhara — Kalidasa chose to begin his six-season poem with Grishma, not Vasanta, describing exhausted travellers, dried-up streams, and animals seeking shade.
Festivals in Grishma
| Festival | Approximate timing |
| Nirjala Ekadashi | around June |
| Vat Purnima / Vat Savitri | around June |
Grishma is comparatively light on major pan-Indian festivals, sitting as the quiet, hot midpoint of the year between Vasanta's spring festivities and Varsha's monsoon observances. See Hindu Festivals 2027 for this year's exact verified dates.
Frequently asked questions
What Gregorian months does Grishma usually fall in?
Approximately Mid-May to mid-July, though the exact start and end dates shift by up to a few weeks year to year, since the Sanskrit calendar's months are lunisolar rather than fixed to the Gregorian calendar.
Is Ritucharya scientifically proven?
Ritucharya is a traditional Ayurvedic framework developed over centuries of observation, not a body of modern clinical evidence. Some elements have been studied in modern research with mixed results; it's best understood as a traditional wellness system rather than an evidence-based medical protocol.
Which Sanskrit months make up Grishma?
Jyeshtha – Ashadha — each Ritu spans exactly two of the twelve Sanskrit months.