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Jyeshtha Amavasya in north India; Jyeshtha Purnima in south India (May-June) · north-india, west-india, south-india
Story from the Mahabharata Vana Parva: Savitri, princess of Madra, married Satyavan despite knowing he would die in one year. When Yama came for him, Savitri followed and won three boons through her wit and devotion. With the third, she requested 'sons by Satyavan' — forcing Yama to return Satyavan to life.
Vat Sāvitrī Vrata is observed by married women on Jyeṣṭha Amāvāsyā (in north India and most regions) or Jyeṣṭha Pūrṇimā (in some traditions, especially Bengal — where it is called Sāvitrī Caturdaśī Vrata). The festival commemorates Sāvitrī, princess of Madra, whose total devotion to her husband Satyavān won her his life back from Yama himself.
The story (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva): Sāvitrī chose Satyavān as husband despite the sage Nārada's warning that he was destined to die in exactly one year. She left her father's kingdom to live with him in the forest. As the predicted day approached, she undertook a three-day fast. When Satyavān went to chop wood, Sāvitrī insisted on accompanying him. He fainted under a vat (banyan) tree; Yama appeared to take his soul. Sāvitrī followed Yama into the south, refusing to leave. Yama, impressed, granted her three boons — but she used them with such wisdom (asking for her father-in-law's restored sight, her father's hundred sons, and her own hundred sons by Satyavān — forcing Yama to return Satyavān to her since the third boon was impossible without him) that Yama finally relented and returned Satyavān to life.
Vat Sāvitrī's annual observance involves married women circumambulating a vat (banyan) tree with cotton-thread, tying knots that symbolise their husband's longevity. The vat tree is specifically chosen because Yama's south-bound path passed beneath such a tree. The Pārvatī-Satyavān union is celebrated as the supreme marriage-myth in Hinduism — three-day fast plus tree-circumambulation.
Vat Sāvitrī is the festival of devotion as power. Sāvitrī's three boons reveal the tradition's deepest teaching: feminine devotion can move death itself. The fast and tree-circumambulation are not magic; they are the willingness to stand between the husband and Yama, body to body. The festival teaches that love that is willing to confront death is itself life-giving. Married women who observe Vat Sāvitrī ask not for magical extension of life but for the strength to be that kind of consort.
Pre-dawn
Bath, fresh bridal-style attire (saree, complete bridal jewellery). Begin the fast.
Mid-morning
Group of married women gather and walk to a vat (banyan) tree — preferably one in a temple compound or a designated vat-pīṭha. Tie cotton-thread around the tree-trunk in 7, 21, 51, or 108 wraps (varies by tradition).
At the tree
Recite the Vat Sāvitrī Vrat Kathā. Apply roli and akṣata to the tree-trunk. Light diyās at the base. Offer fruits, sweets, coconut. Pray for husband's long life.
Afternoon
Return home. Continue fast until evening. Read more of the kathā.
Evening
Husband's pādārcana (foot-touching) by the wife. Break fast with the husband — he gives the first morsel.
Halwa · Puri · Kheer · Mango
Tell daughters the Sāvitrī-Satyavān story — it is one of the great love-narratives in Hindu tradition, easily accessible at age eight. The tree-circumambulation can include kids; many families bring their children to the vat tree for the ritual. The visual of the banyan tree itself — its tangled aerial roots, its thousand-year longevity — is a teaching about marriage's depth and rootedness.
Banyan trees are rare in temperate climates; for diaspora families, performing the tree-circumambulation around a peepal tree (close cousin), a symbolic potted plant, or even a pillar of the home suffices. The kathā-recitation and fast are the irreducible core. Coordinate with other Indian-married-women in your community for the group puja — even a small gathering of 5-7 women fulfills the social dimension.
hindi
वट सावित्री व्रत की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं · Vat Sāvitrī Vrata kī Hārdik Śubhakāmnāyeṃ
marathi
वट पौर्णिमेच्या शुभेच्छा · Vat Pauraṇimecyā Śubhecchā
Jyeṣṭha Amāvāsyā in north India and Maharashtra. Jyeṣṭha Pūrṇimā in Bengal. The fast lasts from sunrise to evening break. The tree-pūjā is performed mid-morning ideally.
| 2026 | May 16 (Saturday) — Jyeṣṭha Amāvāsyā |
| 2027 | June 4 (Friday) |
| 2028 | May 23 (Tuesday) |
| 2029 | May 12 (Saturday) |
| 2030 | May 31 (Friday) |
Panchang · Regional tithi check
Tithi Panchang Helper
Check local Jyeshtha Amavasya or Purnima timing before planning Vat Savitri puja.
Vrat · Vrat planning
Vrat Calendar
Browse fasting observances with date, katha, and practice notes.
Samagri · Mapped samagri
Maulī / Kalāvā Thread
Red-and-yellow protective wrist thread blessed at our atelier.
Samagri · Mapped samagri
Akshat (Unbroken Rice with Haldi)
Whole basmati rice tinted with turmeric — for tilak and offerings.
Samagri · Mapped samagri
Kumkum & Haldī (Authentic)
Pure kumkum and haldi powders, lab-tested for adulterants.
Samagri · Mapped samagri
Pure A2 Cow Ghee (Bilona Method)
Hand-churned A2 cow ghee — for diyās, havan, and prashād.
Samagri · Mapped samagri
Premium Sandalwood Agarbattī
Hand-rolled white-sandal incense sticks for daily worship and meditation.
Samagri · Mapped samagri
Pūjā Thālī (Engraved)
Engraved brass thālī — large enough for ārati and offerings.
Panchang · Confirm local timing
Daily Panchang
Check tithi, nakshatra, rahu kaal, sunrise, and daily ritual timing.
Answer · Deeper guide
Vat Purnima Vrat: Jyeshtha Purnima, Banyan Puja, and Regional Caveats
Conservative Vat Purnima guide with Jyeshtha Purnima timing, Savitri-Satyavan story context, banyan puja, samagri, and regional caveats.
Answer · Deeper guide
Vat Savitri Vrat: Amavasya, Vat Purnima, Banyan Puja, and Regional Caveats
Conservative Vat Savitri Vrat guide with Savitri-Satyavan story context, banyan-tree puja, Amavasya/Purnima regional caveats, and samagri checklist.
Mahabharata, Vana Parva, Savitri-Satyavan narrative
Used for the Savitri, Satyavan, Yama, and boon-dialogue story baseline.
Traditional Vat Savitri vrata practice
Used for the banyan-tree circumambulation, thread, fasting, and regional amavasya/purnima caveats.
PujaKit Hindu Festival Calendar 2026
Internal calendar baseline lists Vat Savitri on May 16, 2026, with local Jyeshtha Amavasya/Purnima confirmation.