Vat Savitri Vrat or ‘Vat Savitri Poornima’ is a fast observed by married ladies who are seeking well being of their husbands. This festival is dedicated to Goddess Savitri (Incarnation of Goddess Durga). It is mainly a north Indian festival. It is celebrated on the ‘Poornima’ of the Hindu month ‘Jayeshtha’ (June-July according to the Gregorian calendar).
What is the story of Vat Savitri Vrat?
The legendary story of true love and dedication towards one’s husband is the story of Savitri and Satyavaan. Once upon a time there lived a king called, ‘Ashtapati’ who had a beautiful daughter called ‘Savitri’. She went to the forest once where she saw a man carrying his blind parents on his shoulders. She got really impressed by the man named,’Satyavaan’ and decided to marry him. The great sage Narad Muni visited the king and told him that Satyavaan will only live for a year, hearing this the king refused to give permission. But Savitri had already made up her mind and married him. They started living in the forest. After a year passed happily, she realized that the time has come. She started fasting three days prior to that.
As expected on the third day, Savitri followed her husband to the forest, while cutting down a banyan tree, a snake bites him and he faints. Savitri sees, God of Death, Yam appearing and taking the soul of her husband with him. Without blinking her eye, she starts following him. Lord Yam first ignores her, but seeing her persistency stops to make her understand that he cannot revert the law of nature.
Yam then asks her to seek any three wishes. She asks for her in laws’ lost kingdom, a son for her father and kids of her own. God of death grants her all the three wishes and starts to move. Savitri stops her and says how can he fulfil her third wish if he takes her husband to heaven with him. Yam realizes that he has been tricked. Seeing her devotion and ‘Pativrata’ nature, he decided to spare Satyavaan’s life. She returns to the same tree and does a round (‘Pradakshina’) around it and her husband wakes up alive and happy.
What are the rituals one has to follow while observing this fast?
- This fast is observed for three days starting from ‘Trayodashi’ and ending on ‘Poornima’.
- Married women observe fast for three days and complete it on the fourth day. They do it in accordance to their convenience. Many do it just n the third day.
- On the first day or ‘Trayodashi’, women apply a paste made of, ‘Amala’ and ‘Gingli’ on themselves and take shower.
- Women eat the roots of banyan tree and water for three days of their fasting. The roots of the tree is considered as Lord Brahma, The trunk as Lord Vishnu and the branches and leaves as Lord Shiva, thus the three main Gods amalgamate into one. The whole tree symbolizes ‘Savitri’.
- They visit the nearest Banyan tree and worship it, after that they tie a red or yellow colored thread around it and chant prayers.
- At home, women prepare a painting of Banyan tree on a plate using sandalwood paste.
- This plate is worshipped for three days of ‘Trayodashi’, ‘Chaturdashi’, ‘Amavasi’ during the morning and evening times.
- Women break their fast on the fourth day after offering water to the moon.
- They prepare special dishes and distribute it among family and friends.
- Many people distribute clothes, food items and sweets among the Lady Brahmins as well as needy women.
