How to Observe the Vat Savitri Vratवट सावित्री व्रत कैसे रखें

The Vat Savitri Vrat is a fast kept by married Hindu women for the long life, health and well-being of their husbands and families. It honours Savitri, who, according to the Mahabharata, followed Yama, the god of death, and by her devotion and wisdom won back the life of her husband Satyavan. This page explains how the vrat is commonly observed: when it is kept, how to take the sankalp, the kinds of fast, the rules of the day and how the fast is broken. Customs differ between regions and families, so treat this as a general guide.

When the vrat is kept

In the purnimanta calendar followed in most of North India, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand, the vrat is kept on Jyeshtha Amavasya, often the same day as Shani Jayanti. In Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka and other southern and western regions it is kept about fifteen days later on Jyeshtha Purnima, where it is called Vat Purnima. Check the Vat Savitri date page for the current year.

Three days or one day

In the Mahabharata, Savitri began a three-night fast three days before the day Satyavan was fated to die. Following her example, the traditional vrat spans three days, from Trayodashi to Amavasya (or to Purnima for Vat Purnima). Some devotees still keep all three days, eating once a day or only fruit on the first two days and fasting fully on the main day. Most women today fast only on the main day and do the puja that morning. Both ways are accepted; follow your family custom.

The sankalp

The sankalp is the resolve to keep the vrat. In the morning, after bathing and dressing, sit facing east or north. Hold a little water, akshat (unbroken rice) and a flower in the right hand. Say your name and, if you know them, your gotra and your husband's name, and resolve in simple words to keep the Vat Savitri Vrat and worship the banyan, Savitri and Satyavan for the well-being of your husband and family. State the kind of fast you will keep. Then let the water, rice and flower fall into a plate. If you will keep the vrat for three days, take the sankalp on the first morning.

Kinds of fast

• Nirjala: Many women keep a waterless fast from sunrise until the paran, taking neither food nor water.
• Phalahar: Others take fruit, milk, water and simple vrat foods during the day, and avoid grains.
• Ekbhukt: In some families one simple meal is taken after the puja, without grains or with only certain foods, as custom allows.

Pregnant or nursing women, women who are unwell, the elderly and anyone on medication should consult a doctor before fasting and may keep a phalahar or lighter fast. The vrat falls in May or June, when the heat is strong: drink plenty of water the night before and after the fast, avoid the midday sun, and stop the fast if you feel dizzy or faint. Devotees believe that devotion counts for more than hardship. This is not a substitute for medical advice. See vrat food for what to eat.

Rules of the day

• Rise early, bathe and wear clean, bright clothes, ideally red or yellow, with the marks of a married woman.
• Do the puja at a banyan tree in the morning, following the Vat Savitri puja vidhi.
• Listen to or read the story of Savitri and Satyavan.
• Keep sattvic habits: no meat, eggs, alcohol, onion or garlic in the meals cooked for the vrat.
• Many women do not cut or damage any part of a banyan tree on this day, apart from a small twig taken for home puja where needed.
• Avoid sleeping during the day if your custom forbids it, though rest in the heat is sensible.

Conduct and spirit

The vrat is as much about conduct as about fasting. Savitri is remembered for her patience, courage, clear thinking and gentle speech, even before Yama. Women try to keep the same spirit through the day: speaking kindly, avoiding quarrels and gossip, respecting elders, and spending time in prayer, the katha and devotional songs. Touching the feet of the husband and elders and giving the "baya" to the mother-in-law are part of this spirit of respect in many homes.

Paran: breaking the fast

The time of paran follows family custom. In many families the fast is broken after the morning puja, once the katha is heard and elders have given their blessings. The woman swallows a few soaked black gram with water, and in some homes a tender banyan bud or leaf shoot as well, without chewing. She then takes the prasad of fruit, puri, kheer or sweets. Other families continue the fast until evening or until the next morning. If you kept a three-day vrat, the paran is done after the puja on the main day. Break a long fast gently with water, fruit and light food rather than a heavy meal.

Frequently asked questions