Vat Purnima Vrat 2026 - Katha & Puja Vidhi for Married Women

Vat Purnima is a vrat observed by married women (suhagins) for the long life, health and prosperity of their husbands. Women tie a sacred thread around the vat (banyan) tree, which symbolises longevity, shelter and the unbroken bond of marriage. The vrat is inspired by the legendary devotion of Savitri, who brought her husband Satyavan back from the god of death. In many regions it is also called Vat Savitri Vrat.

Vat Purnima is observed on the Purnima (full moon) of the Jyeshtha month, usually falling in the Gregorian month of May or June. In North India many women observe the related Vat Savitri vrat on the Amavasya of Jyeshtha, while in Maharashtra, Gujarat and South India the Purnima is followed - the worship and katha remain the same. As the tithi changes yearly and timings vary by region, please confirm the exact date and muhurat for Vat Purnima 2026 on the Vandnaa Panchang.

The katha tells of Savitri, a devoted wife who married Satyavan knowing he was destined to die within a year. On the fated day, when Yamraj came to take Satyavan's soul, Savitri followed him with unwavering devotion and wisdom. Pleased by her steadfastness, Yamraj granted her several boons. Cleverly, she asked for sons - which could not be fulfilled without her husband - and so Yamraj restored Satyavan's life. Savitri became the eternal symbol of a wife's love and faith, and her vrat is observed under the banyan tree where Satyavan revived.

Perform the puja in the morning at a banyan tree: 1. Wake early, bathe and dress as a suhagin in fine clothes, bangles, bindi and sindoor. 2. Carry a puja thali with water, roli-kumkum, akshat (rice), flowers, fruits, sweets and a raw cotton thread. 3. Water the roots of the vat tree and apply kumkum and akshat to its trunk. 4. Offer flowers, fruits and bhog, and light a lamp and incense before it. 5. Wind the raw thread around the trunk seven times while praying for your husband's long life. 6. Listen to or recite the Savitri-Satyavan katha, then perform parikrama and seek blessings from elders.

Married women keep a nirjala (waterless) fast through the day, or a phalahari fast with fruits and milk if their health does not permit a strict fast. They dress in auspicious suhagin attire and avoid harsh words and anger. The fast is broken after the puja and katha, often after offering food to a Brahmin or an elder and seeking their blessings. Pregnant women, the unwell and the elderly should observe a gentler fast according to their capacity.

While circling the tree and offering water, women pray with mantras such as:

Om Vat Savitryai Namah

Namah Savitryai Vat Vriksha Roopinyai

The vrat is believed to grant the husband a long, healthy life, protect the marriage, bring harmony and prosperity to the home, and bless the family with children and well-being. Beyond the boons, it celebrates the deep ideal of love, faith and devotion embodied by Savitri.