Vat Purnima is a festival that celebrates the beauty and joy of life❤️. It shows that life is precious and should be cherished with love and gratitude. It also shows that death is not the end but a new beginning of a higher journey.
It falls on the full moon day of the month of Jyeshtha (May–June) and is also known as Vat Savitri Vrat. On this day, women observe a fast and pray for the long life and well-being of their husbands by tying a ceremonial thread around a banyan tree. The festival is inspired by the legend of Savitri and Satyavan, a tale of love, loyalty and courage.
Lagend has it that Savitri was the daughter of 👑King Asvapati and 👸Queen Malavi. She was so beautiful and virtuous that no man dared to ask for her hand in marriage. Her father asked her to choose a husband for herself. She went on a pilgrimage and met Satyavan, the son of a blind and exiled king named Dyumatsena. She fell in love and decided to marry him.
However, when she returned to her father's palace, she met Sage Narada who told her that Satyavan had only one year to live. Savitri was shocked but refused to give up on her love. She married Satyavan and went to live with him in the forest.
Three days before the predicted death of Satyavan, Savitri started a fast and vowed to stay awake for three nights. On the day of his death, she accompanied him to the forest where he was cutting wood. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and lay down on her lap. Savitri realized that his time had come.
Soon, Yama, the god of death, arrived to take away Satyavan's soul. Savitri followed him as he carried the soul away. She praised Yama with eloquent words and impressed him with her wisdom and devotion. Yama granted her three boons, except for the life of Satyavan.
Savitri asked for the restoration of her father-in-law's eyesight and kingdom, then for a hundred children for her father, and then for a hundred children for herself and Satyavan. Yama agreed to all her wishes but then realized that he had been tricked. He could not give her children without giving back Satyavan's life.
👿Yama admitted his defeat and praised Savitri for her cleverness and faithfulness. He returned Satyavan's life and blessed them with happiness and prosperity. Savitri and Satyavan returned to their hut where they found Dyumatsena restored to his sight and throne. They lived happily ever after.
On the auspicious day of Vat Purnima, Savitri is worshipped as an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The main ritual of Vat Purnima is to tie a thread around a banyan tree or Vat Vriksha. The banyan tree is considered sacred in Hinduism as it symbolizes longevity, immortality and fertility.
Women go around the tree seven times while chanting prayers and mantras. They tie the thread around the trunk or a branch of the tree as a symbol of their bond with their husbands. They also offer water, milk, rice, flowers and sweets to the tree🌳.
They pray to the banyan tree for their husband's health, happiness and success. They also ask for forgiveness for any mistakes they may have made in their marital life. They seek the blessings of Savitri who saved her husband from death by her devotion.
Vat Purnima is a festival that celebrates the love and devotion of a wife for her husband. It also honors the courage and intelligence of Savitri who defied death for her husband. It teaches the values of loyalty, fidelity and sacrifice in marriage.
Vat Purnima is also a festival that celebrates the bond between a woman and nature. It shows the respect and reverence for the banyan tree that provides shade, shelter and sustenance to many living beings. It also symbolizes the strength and resilience of a woman who can overcome any obstacle with her faith and determination.
Vat Purnima is a festival that celebrates the power of prayer and positive thinking. It shows that nothing is impossible if one has a pure heart and a strong will. It also shows that God is compassionate and merciful to those who worship sincerely.
