Vat Purnima or Wat Purnima or vaṭapūrṇimā "Banyan tree full moon") is a celebration observed in the
Western Indian states ofGujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, India. Purnima means "full moon" and is celebrated on the full moon day (the 15th)
of the month ofJyeshtha on the Hindu calendar,. Women pray for the prosperity and longevity of their
husbands by tying threads around a banyan
tree or waṭ, which
is called "pipal puja", on this day. It honours Savitri, the legendary wife who rescued her husband's soul from
the ruler of the departed, Yama
The vrata was named
after Savitri. Savitri was the beautiful daughter of King Aswapati of Madra
Desa. She selected Satyavan as her life partner, a prince in exile who was
living in the forest with his blind father Dyumatsen. She left the palace and
lived with her husband and the in-laws in the forest. As a devoted wife and
daughter-in-law, she went to great lengths to take care of them. One day while
cutting wood in the jungle, Satyavan's head reeled and he fell down from a
tree. Then Yamraj, the death God, appeared to take away Satyavan's soul. Deeply
hurt, Savitri pleaded to Yamraj not to be separated from her husband. If
anything, he would take away the soul of her husband and she would also follow.
Yamraj, moved by the devotion of Savitri, returned the life of her husband.
Vat Savitri Vrat Fasting is for three days and it begins on
the trayodashi day and ends on Amavasi or Purnima. Some sections of Hindu
society observe the vrat during Amavasi (new moon) and others during Purnima
(full moon) in the Hindu month of Jyeshtha
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