Vat Savitri Puja: Know about its rituals, significance, and history
Vat Savitri is a major festival celebrated by married Hindu women in states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. Married women observe this auspicious day with great devotion and respect, honoring the festival's traditions and customs. From all the rituals to their importance and meaning, here is everything you need to know about this festival.
Date and timings of puja
Vat Savitri falls on amavasya tithi, during the dark phase of the moon in the month of Jyeshtha. And therefore, it is also known as Vat Amavasya. It is being celebrated today, i.e. May 19, along with shani jayanti. This year, the amavasya tithi began at 9:42 pm on May 18 and will conclude at 9:22 pm on May 19, 2023.
Significance
This puja holds immense significance for some Hindu married women, who observe a fast on this special day to ensure the well-being and longevity of their husbands. They offer prayers to the revered vat vriksha (Banyan tree), seeking its blessings. The vat vriksha is believed to be the home of the three primary deities in Hinduism: Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Brahma.
A game of wits with Yamraj
As per Hindu scriptures, there is a story about Savitri, who married a man named Satyavaan. Unfortunately, Satyavaan had a short lifespan. One day, while he was working in the forest, the lord of death, Yamraj, came to claim his life. When Savitri found her lifeless husband, she saw Yamraj and followed him. She pleaded for her husband's life back but Yamraj refused.
Yamraj offers Savitri three boons but not her husband's life
Yamraj then urged Savitri to return home, but she refused. He then offered her three boons. She asked for her father-in-law's eyesight, the restoration of his lost kingdom, and the blessing to become the mother of 100 sons. Pleased with her choices, Yamraj granted her all three boons she asked for. However, he did not release her husband's life yet.
Savitri outwits Yamraj and successfully bargains Satyavaan's life
Despite Yamraj granting Savitri's desired boons, she continued to pursue him. He questioned her motives, to which Savitri responded that without her husband's life, she couldn't fulfill her wish to become the mother of 100 sons. Acknowledging his defeat, Yamraj restored Satyavaan's life, thus concluding the story of Savitri's unwavering love and determination to safeguard her husband's life.
The rituals involved
Women wake up early, bathe, wear traditional outfits, along with jewelry, and prepare satvik food. Carrying a sacred white yarn, a kalash filled with water, turmeric, vermilion, and flowers, they visit a temple where the revered vat vriksha stands. Lighting a ghee lamp, they offer prayers for their husband's well-being. Women then encircle the tree seven times and tie the white yarn around it.
