Article on Vatpurnima 2020

Vatpurnima 2020

[One of the Hindu festival]

 What is Vatpurnima?

‘Vatpurnima’ is one of the Hindu festival specially celebrated by married women. [Vat means banyan tree and Purnima means the full moon day]. This festival comes on the full moon day of the month of ‘Jyeshtha’ of the Hindu calendar every year.

         How does Vatpurnima celebrate?

Vatpurnima is the festival celebrated by married women for the good health and long life for their husbands. On this day they worship banyan trees. They bring all the things required for worship. The fruits like mango, jackfruit, and also other forest fruits like Jamun, karwand, etc. and any sweet or they may also take sugar for pooja. First, they tie a thread to the banyan tree and then winding the thread by taking rounds around the banyan tree. They may take 7, 9, 11, or 108 rounds around the banyan tree according to their capacity and wish. When they complete their last round they tied the other end of the thread to the tree.

After completing the rounds they worship the banyan tree by letting Diya and incense stick and offer it fruits, sweets, etc. Also, they give all the things brought for pooja to the five married women which are called a ‘van’ in Marathi language [van means all the things taken for the pooja and the pieces of the fruits to be kept on the leaf of the banyan tree]. They also offer the van in front of the Tulsi plant(holy basil) and to the God in the Mandir in their house [Mandir means the place where idols or photos of God's place in the house]. Also, they gave van to their husband, an elderly person in the family, and take their blessings.

        What is the importance of banyan tree in                      Vatpurnima?

Friends, you may think so far why only a banyan tree is used in this festival. Yes, banyan tree has special importance from the ancient India. For this, there is one mythological story that happened under the banyan tree. The story is to be said as follows.

Once upon a time, there was a king named Ashwapati’. The king was very generous and kind. He had a daughter named ‘Savitri’. She was very beautiful, kind, and intelligent. When she has grown up the king decided to marry her. He told Savitri to find the life partner of her choice. So Savitri set out to seep her life partner by taking some ministers with her. She went to the forest and stayed there in the cottage of sages [rishi] and from there she started her work. She traveled so much and after a few days, she returned home.

The king asked her about her search. She told him that she had chosen Satyawan as her life partner. He was staying in the forest with his parents because his father had lost his kingdom as he was defeated in the war. At that time Maharshi Narada [the devotee of Lord Vishnu chanting Narayana Narayana continuously, the name of Lord Vishnu] present in the court of king Ashvapati. The king asked him about Satyawan. He told him that Satyawan is good but he had a very short life. Now he will live only for one year. The king was shocked when he heard this. He told Savitri to select any other person for her. But Savitri refused to do so. She told that a woman can choose her partner only once in her life. So Savitri married to Satyawan and went to the forest with him. As Savitri knew about the life of Satyawan. She always prays to God for his life. One year passed in this way and the last day of Satyawan’s life appeared. Savitri was praying God often. On that day Satyawan wanted to go to the forest to bring the wood. But Savitri didn’t allow to go him alone. She took the permission of her father-in-law and went to the forest with Satyawan. Satyawan started cutting the branches of the tree. Suddenly he felt something strange like giddiness. So he came down from the tree and told Savitri about his feeling. Savitri told him to lay down for some time and kept his head on her laps. Savitri was very frightened and keeps on praying God. But after within a few minutes, Satyawan got unconscious and died after some time. So the messenger of Yama [the God of Death] came to take the soul of Satyawan. But Savitri didn’t allow them to take her husband’s soul. After trying for a while they went back and told Yama the whole story. So Yama himself came to take Satyawan’s soul. Still, Savitri didn’t allow to do so. Yama explained to her the secret of the death and he took Satyawan’s soul and started going, Savitri also started going behind him. Yama told her to go back but she didn’t listen to him and keeps on requesting him to give back her husband’s soul. Now Yama told her instead of Satyawan’s soul, he will fulfill her three wishes. So he asked her to tell him her wishes. Savitri agreed to this condition. The first wish she told him that her father-in-law would get back his eyes. Yama fulfilled her wish instantly. The second wish she told him that her father-in-law would get his kingdom which he had lost in the war. Yama granted her wish too. The third wish she told him that she wanted a son who would look after the kingdom of her father-in-law. Yama said Tathastu [means Sanskrit word for Yes] to complete her wish and he started walking on his way. Savitri ran after him and asked him how could she get a son without her husband. Now Yama was confused but he was also pleased to see the love of Savitri about her husband. So he had returned Satyawan’s soul and blessed both of them.

In this way, by her talent Savitri back her husband and returned home happily. All this event took place under the banyan tree. So the banyan tree has more importance in the festival of Vatpurnima.

         Celebration of Vatpurnima 2020.

In this year 2020, the whole world gets affected due to COVID 19. There was lockdown everywhere. The things need for Vatpurnima pooja were not available. But still, all women celebrated Vatpurnima happily. They used the things available at home. As they couldn’t go out to worship they worshipped any other tree or potted plant they had by imagining it as a banyan tree. Thus they celebrated Vatpurnima at their home only.  

         Environment and Vatpurnima

                 In big cities sometimes the banyan tree is not available nearby or sometimes the working woman wants to go to a job so they did not get time to go out to worship the banyan tree. So they bring the branch of the banyan tree and worship it. On this occasion, some people cut down the branches of the banyan tree and leaves and sell them. But this harms the environment. The banyan tree is a very huge plant. It lasts for long life. It has many branches spreading around. The stem of the banyan tree is very strong and roots are also spread under the ground at a long distance. Therefore this stood firmly though they happen any natural calamities such as cyclone, earthquake, strong winds, flood, heavy rainfall, etc. This tree looks very beautiful and very useful, too. It gives a large amount of oxygen and also controls pollution. It has many medicinal uses. It is also the shelter of many birds and insects and the resting point of many travelers, many other animals, etc. It is very good for women’s health. In the ancient period, women were not allowed to go out. So behalf of such occasion they used to adorn themselves and go out to worship the banyan tree. So that they may spend that much time under the banyan tree and the ritual of worshipping banyan tree is a very good thing so that the women may get good health. This year Vatpurnima was on the 5^th of June which is also celebrated as The Environment Day. It may be coincidently Vatpurnima and Environment Day awakened the women regarding the importance of the environment and their responsibility to keep the environment clean and healthy.

         Friends,  I would like to tell you that you celebrate the festivals merely but don’t harm the environment. If you don’t have the banyan tree nearby, bring one seedling of the banyan tree and plant it somewhere on the open space nearby and take care till it grows well. So you and your other friends can worship it.

Save Environment Save life.