Savitri Vrata or Savitri Amavasya is a fasting day observed by married Hindu women on the Amavasya, in the month of Jyeshtha. It is celebrated in the Indian states of Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Nepal and is also known as Sabitri Uwaans in the Western Odisha region.
Married Hindu women observe it with great dedication and pray for their husbands to have a long life. The fast is dedicated to Savitri, who saved her husband Satyavan from being taken by Yamraj, the God of death.
The festival is observed on Vat Purnima, the full moon of Jyestha in other regions including Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, and Karnataka.
Transgender women observe Savitri Puja
While it is exclusively meant for women, lately transgender women or trans women have been observing the custom to pray for the long life of their husbands. Some who are not married hold the Vrat for their Guru or presiding Kinnar.
As May 30 happens to be Sabitri or Savitri Puja this year, several groups of Kinnars of transgender women, as in transgender who identify as women, were seen offering prayers at temples of Odisha.
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As the ritual goes, in the early morning, women take purifying baths, wear new clothes and bangles, and apply vermilion to their foreheads. Nine types of fruits and nine types of flowers are offered to the Goddess Savitri. Wet pulses, rice, mangos, jackfruits, palm fruits, kendu, bananas, and several other fruits are offered as Bhoga (offering) to the goddess and Savitri vrata katha is narrated. After fasting for the whole day, the women have the Bhoga post-sunset. In the afternoon, they bow to their husbands and touch their feet.
The same was followed by transgender women in Odisha.
“On this auspicious occasion of Savitri Brata, I extend my wishes to all married women, including those who identify themselves as women. We observe this day for our husbands as many of us fortunately married now and many are in live in with their partners. The rest observe this day for our Gurus though the tradition says the Puja has to be observed for husbands. A husband is someone who is considered a protector but since we were dejected by our families our Gurus became everything for us. So, we observe this brata for their well being,” told Transgender activist Meera Parida.
The legend of Savitri or Sabitri
Savitri or Sabitri was the beautiful daughter of King Aswapati of Madra Desa. She married Satyavan, a prince in exile who was living in the forest with his blind father Dyumatsen. Later on, she left the palace and lived with her husband and the in-laws in the forest.
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As a devoted wife and daughter-in-law, she crossed great lengths to take care of them. One day while chopping wood in the jungle, Satyavan’s head reeled and he fell down from a tree. Soon Yama, or Yamraj, the death God, appeared to take away Satyavan’s soul. Deeply hurt Savitri pleaded to Yamraj to spare her husband’s soul. If he would take away the soul of her husband and she would also follow, she said. Yama, moved by the devotion of Savitri, returned the life of her husband. Soon after, Satyavan regained his lost kingdom.
This story of love and a wife’s attachment to her husband became a ritual for women to keep away Yama from their husband’s souls, in turn, giving them a longer life.