Astha SangrahASTHA SANGRAHhttps://asthasangrah.comVat Purnima Vrat
Vat Purnima Vrat is a vow observed by married women for their husband's long life, kept on Jyeshtha Purnima with the worship of the banyan tree, and is the Amanta calendar tradition's form of Vat Savitri Vrat.
This vow is observed in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and South India's Amanta calendar tradition, while in North India's Purnimanta tradition, the same vow is observed about 15 days earlier, on Jyeshtha Amavasya, as 'Vat Savitri Vrat'. Check a local panchang for the exact date.
Significance of Vat Purnima Vrat
Vat Purnima Vrat is based on the same Savitri-Satyavan episode of the Mahabharata's Vana Parva as Vat Savitri Vrat, in which Savitri, through the strength of her devotion to her husband, wins her husband Satyavan's life back from Yamraj. Savitri's complete story can be read on this site's katha page.
The only difference is one of calendar reckoning, North India's Purnimanta tradition calls it 'Vat Savitri Vrat' on Jyeshtha Amavasya, while Maharashtra, Gujarat, and South India's Amanta tradition observe the same vow about 15 days later, on Jyeshtha Purnima, as 'Vat Purnima Vrat'. The vow's purpose and legend are identical in both.
In Maharashtra, this vow also carries a distinct social dimension, married women exchange gift baskets called 'Vaan' among themselves, filled with fruits, sweets, and adornment items, regarded as a symbolic exchange of marital fortune and friendship.
How Vat Purnima Vrat Is Celebrated
On the day of the vow, married women bathe in the morning, dress in the sixteen traditional adornments (solah shringar), and worship images of Brahma, Savitri, and Satyavan set up beneath a banyan tree. There is a tradition of circling the tree's trunk 108 times while winding raw cotton thread around it, considered especially meritorious.
After the puja, the Vat Savitri Katha is heard, and in Maharashtra especially, married women exchange 'Vaan' baskets with one another. In some homes, where reaching an actual tree isn't possible, a small branch of the banyan tree is brought home and worshipped instead.
After the puja, the mother-in-law and elder women of the house are offered gifts in exchange for their blessing, and the day-long fast is broken in the evening after the worship concludes.
Vat Purnima Vrat Puja Vidhi
Bathe in the morning and dress in the sixteen traditional adornments. Set up images of Brahma-Savitri and Satyavan-Savitri beneath a banyan tree and worship them. Circle the tree 108 times while winding raw cotton thread around it, listen to the Vat Savitri Katha, and break the fast in the evening.
About Vat Purnima Vrat
Vat Purnima Vrat is a vow observed by married women, kept on Jyeshtha Purnima, and is the Amanta calendar tradition's form of Vat Savitri Vrat. This page covers this vow's significance, the tradition of Vaan, and the puja vidhi for observing it at home.
The information on this page is presented with easy-to-read sizing and print support, and the complete Savitri-Satyavan story can be read on this site's katha page.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Vat Purnima Vrat observed?
This vow is observed in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and South India's Amanta calendar tradition, on the Purnima of the Jyeshtha month.
What is the difference between Vat Purnima and Vat Savitri Vrat?
Both are the same vow observed on two different dates under two calendar conventions. North India's Purnimanta tradition calls it Vat Savitri Vrat on Jyeshtha Amavasya, while Maharashtra, Gujarat, and South India's Amanta tradition observe the same vow about 15 days later, on Jyeshtha Purnima, as Vat Purnima Vrat.
What is Vaan?
Vaan is a gift-basket tradition among married women in Maharashtra, in which baskets filled with fruits, sweets, and adornment items are exchanged, symbolizing the sharing of marital fortune and friendship.
Why is the banyan tree circled 108 times?
The number 108 is regarded as a complete and sacred number in Hindu tradition, and circling the banyan tree 108 times is seen as symbolizing a complete and wholehearted prayer for the husband's long life.