The new moon day also called Amavasya in Hindu culture, is the most important day for performing various rituals. If there is a new moon on Monday (Somwar) it is called Somvati Amavasya. Since this Amavasya only took place once a year, it provides devotees with a chance to perform several ritualistic ceremonies. Monday is a day that is dedicated to Lord Shiva, and Somvati Amavasya is a day in which a married woman wishes for their husband’s long life. According to several legends, if a man is suffering from a grave disease, his wife can pray for his recovery and healthy life by fasting during the day of Somvati Amavasya and circumambulate a peepal tree as a ritual. Furthermore, individuals also do Shradha to pray to their ancestors for a blessing.
Somwati Amavasya, Its significance and story:
In the Bhagavad Purana and Mahabharata, it is stated that Bhishma Pitamah explained the importance of this Amawasya to king Yudhishthira saying that one should take a bath in the holy water of Ganga River to cleanse all of their sins. Taking a dip in a holy river on this day keeps you healthy, pure, hygiene and prosperous and also gives peace to your ancestors. Another folktale surrounding the Somwati Amawasya is the old, and poor Brahmin was living an unhappy life because her daughter, who was beautiful, young and well-cultured was not able to find a man for marriage. He got a lot more worried when a sage, after being happy with the service of his daughter, said that she doesn’t have a marriage in her destiny. After seeing the distressed face of the brahmin, the sage asked his to daughter to work under a washerwoman named Sona who is living in the next village. When this washerwoman applies sindoor on Brahmins daughter’s head, all of her worries and issues regarding marriage will come to an end.
As instructed, Brahmin daughter went to the nearby village early in the morning when everyone else was asleep and did the chores at Sona’s home and returned. Sona surprised after seeing all the finished chores asked her daughter in law whether she did the work. However, the daughter in law thought it was Sona who did all this work.
Later they found out it was Brahmin’s daughter who was doing all of these chores. She told Sona the reason why she was doing all of this work. After listening to her story and being pleased with her attitude, Sona applied sindoor on her head. Right after this, Sona’s husband died. All of this took place during the Somvati Amavasya after this Sona went to the peepal tree she usually worshipped too. Where she picked up some bricks, because she had nothing to offer, and this circumvallated around the three for 108 times praying for the life of her husband. By the miraculously by the blessing of Gods, her husband returned to life.
This story is the reason why married women fast and pray for the safety and prolonged life of their husbands in the event of Somvati Amavasya.
What can you do during Somvati Amavasya?
There are a lot of different spiritual activities and rituals that can be performed by anyone on this day. Some of them are as follows:
- Keeping Maun vrat throughout the morning and take a dip in the holy rivers such as Ganga, Saraswati, Yamuna, etc. is considered to be highly purifying and auspicious. This is the reason why there are a lot of pilgrims and devotees gathered around in Haridwar, Rishikesh, or any other destination where they can reach the Ganga River.
- Feed cows with rice and curd
- Offer holy water of Ganga to Surya (Sun) god.
Aside from these, there are several other things that you can do during the event of Somwati Amwasya.