Vrat Purnima or Vat Purnima or Wata pournima is a festival for married women. Vrat Purnima festival celebrated on the full moon or new moon day (Purnima).  Wife ties the  cotton threat around the banyan tree for get blessing for his husband long life. Wata purnima falls in the month of Jayeshta in the month of May or June. This particular day is celebrated of the name of Savitri, the legendary wife of Satyavan. She had saved her husband from the clutches of Lord Yama.

Most of Indian festivals have legendary and fancy tales background behind them. This festival is related with the pure relationship between husband and his better half. The sacrifice of a wife and love for her husband brings the soul of her beloved back from Lord Yama.

 

 

 

Significant of Banyan Tree

Among the rituals banyan tree shares its own importance. Women worship Vata/Banyan tree and pray for the long, healthy and wealthy life of their husband. Women feed water expressing their devotion, sprinkle kumkum as the sign of great fortune and wrap long cotton thread round tree’s trunk as a sign of long life of their husband.

Banyan tree is selected as a symbol of three lords, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Root is Brahma, stem is Vishnu and leaves and branches are Shiva.

Ancient story/history of Satyavana and Savitri

Savirti was born to the king of Madra Asvapati as a boon. Lord Sun/Savitr granted him a boon out of devotion and asceticism. Savitri is very beautiful and pure. No men matched her in purity, divinity, sacrifice, love and knowledge. Her father could not find any man matching her quality so he asked her to find husband on her own. Savitri started her pilgrimage for the said purpose. Savitri found Satyavana son of king Dyumatsena. He had lost all his wealth and health. He had even lost his eyes and was living in exile.

She came with her husband to her father’s house. When she was entering, she heard Devrishi Narada speaking to her father. He was talking that she had made the best possible choice and added that Satyavana is destined exactly after one year of his marriage. Her father was not happy at her marriage and insisted to make a more suitable choice. She rejected his plea and went in the forest to live married life with her parents in law. Their life was running smoothly without much interruption.

Before the end of one year of their marriage or when three days were remaining to complete a happy and prosperous year of their marriage she saw all that would happen after three days. On that particular and last day of the year, they went into the forest. While Satyavana was splitting wood he was tired and laid in her Lap under a banyan tree. She saw Yama claiming his soul. She asked to be with his soul anywhere it might be. Yama did not mind it and allowed to follow him. She started her speech. Her words and knowledge impressed him. He asked her to ask anything expect the life of Satyavana. She asked eyesight of her husband and wealthy kingdom for her parents in law. Yama thought she would be satisfied with it and would leave following him. But she did not stop following him. She even talked with him with pleas that are more powerful. Yama asked her for a boon. He asked hundred sons for his father. Yama was pleased at her powerful and knowledgeable arguments. At the entrance of Yamalok he asked her to leave and for the last boon. She asked a hundred sons of her and Satyavana. Her last wish created dilemma for him. There was no chance for Yama so he insisted to ask anything else. But she was firm on her decision. Then Yama granted her wish and blessed her with happy and prosperous life. Both returned home with joy and happiness. Her parents in law also had the said changes by Yama.

The story of Satyavana and Savitri has significance, a pure and knowledgeable wife can save not only the life of her husband but also brings wealth and prosperity for the whole family.