Significance of Vat Savitri Vrat

The significance of Vat Savitri Vrat is that, it is a propitious Hindu festival celebrated and observed by the married women who pray for their husband’s strength, well-being and prosperity. The fasting observed in this festival is named after the illustrious women Savitri, who had brought her husband back from the gates of hell.

The importance of vat Savitri Vrat is that it is observed by married womenfor three days and begins two days prior to the amavasi or purnima in the Jyestha month (June-July). The tree symbolically represents three gods, Vishnu, brahma and Shiva. The significance of the vat Savitrivratis that, it is believed that by observing this fast or vrat rigorously, married women are able to bring good luck and fortune for their husbands, the same way as Savitri brought back the life of her husband. The fast is observed in this festival for three days and on the fourth day it is broken after the Purnima is over. However the fast is sometimes observed on the third day only. It is continued all night long and broken of the next morning by consuming bhoga (offering), such as jack fruit, bananas, wet pulses, rice, lemon etc.

According to the legend associated with Vat Savitri, princess Savitri was the daughter of Ashwapati, who was the king of Bhadra kingdom. She fell in love with Satyavan, who was destined to die within a year and Savitri was made aware of this by Lord Narada but this did not deter her from getting married to Satyavan.

As predicted, one year later Satyavan died in the forest while cutting wood under a banyan tree and the God of death, Yamraj came to collect his soul. Savitri followed him to the gates of hell to bring her husband back to life. Yamraj was impressed by the devotion of Savitri and gave back her husband’s life. Significance of Vat Savitri puja vrat lies in worshipping the Banyan tree and women go around this tree 108 times tying threads around it and praying for the long life of their husbands.