Vat Purnima Vrat is a significant Hindu festival celebrated by married women observing fast for their husbands’ long life and wellness.
Vat Purnima is also known as Vat Savitri. This is mainly celebrated by women belonging to Eastern India i.e. Orissa and some parts of Northern India.
In Vat Savitri Vrat, women tie a ceremonial sacred thread around a banyan tree, keep fast and listen to Savitri-Satyavan Katha from the priest.
This Vrat is especially observed by newlyweds with great enthusiasm.
The fasting is based on the devotion and determination shown by Savitri to win her husband Satyavan back from the clutches of Yama.
This puja is performed under a banyan tree which is considered to be the main idol of this festival which symbolically represents Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva. The root represents Lord Brahma, the stem represents Lord Vishnu and the upper portion is Lord Shiva. Vat Savitri Vrat fasting begins on the Trayodashi day of Jyeshtha month and ends on Purnima.
Puja Rituals
On this auspicious day, women take holy bath early in the morning as purification and wear new colourful clothes, bright bangles and apply vermillion on their forehead.
They adorn one leaf of banyan in their hair. They also offer 9 types of fruits and flowers to Goddess Savitri. Wet pulses, rice, mangos, jackfruits, palm fruits, kendu, bananas and several other fruits are offered as Bhoga (offering) and the day is observed with Savitri Vrat Katha.
After the fast is over, they consume bhogal and take blessings from the husband and elders in the house.
It is believed that Vat Savitri Vrat can turn even the utmost bad fortune of a woman into a good one.