India has a rich cultural and traditional heritage, and its people believe in the divine force of devotion and worship. As a result, people maintain fasts and perform various rituals to obtain blessings from their sacred deities. One such auspicious custom is the Friday Fast, also known as the Shukravar Vrat, which is mostly observed by Hindu women to please Goddess Santoshi and win her blessings. The Puranas state that Maa Santoshi is commonly called the goddess of happiness and contentment.
She is believed to be the most gentle and respectful avatar of Goddess Durga. Lord Ganesha and Riddhi-Siddhi Devi are her parents. Venus, the solar system’s brightest planet, is also honored during the Friday Fast, or Shukravar Vrat. This explains why the Friday Fast is so well-liked in India. According to legend, a devotee who keeps this vrat for 16 consecutive Fridays will be blessed by the Goddess Santoshi.
To have a deeper understanding of the Friday Vrat, this blog will go over the advantages of fasting on Fridays, the history of the practice, and the correct way to observe Friday fast vidhi.
The Importance of The Friday Fast
It is said that anyone who worships Maa Santoshi or fasts on Friday will receive the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi and Goddess Santoshi for every day of their lives. Additionally, there is never financial difficulty for those who follow this fast and chant Friday Vrat Aarti.
- Reciting “Jai Maa Santoshi” continuously 108 times can help people who follow the Friday fasting tradition feel happy and at ease. It also helps ward off evil eyes and gives the confidence to fight life’s terrible forces.
- Hindu Puranas state that reading the Shukravar Vrat Katha and maintaining the fast will bring good fortune, money, and prosperity. Finding a satisfying life partner is also simpler for devotees who follow Friday Vrat.
- All types of pain, suffering, and difficulties in life are thought to be destroyed when the Friday fast is observed on 16 consecutive Fridays. Additionally, devotees are blessed with joyful lives and healthy children.
- The harmful effects of Venus on the kundali are banished for followers who worship the heavenly body Venus on Friday and adhere to the Friday Fast Vidhi.
Friday Fast Process
This Friday vrat is observed by Hindu devotees who adore Santoshi Mata; the majority of these followers are women. They complete their promise by fasting for sixteen Fridays in a row using the Friday fast vidhi and rituals (Sankalp).
- The essential Friday Vrat rule is that nobody in the family is allowed to eat or encounter anything sour on this day. Eating meat, garlic, and onions is also prohibited on this day.
- Get up early, change into clean clothing, and take a bath.
- After cleaning your house, sprinkle the temple with Ganga Jal, or water.
- After that, place an idol or image of Goddess Santoshi and light a diya and incense stick.
- Next, place a bowl of gud (raw jaggery) and black chana (roasted chickpeas) in front of the idol. Place a coconut and a water-filled Kalash on top of the bowl.
- Offer flowers, bananas, coconuts, kumkum, haldi, and chunri (red fabric).
- To begin the puja, sing Her Vrat Katha and chant a few of Santoshi Mata’s names.
- Lastly, perform the Friday Vrat Aarti and offer flowers to the lotus feet of the goddess.
- Serve the prasad (chana and gud) to all family members following the puja.
- On this day, people who follow the Friday vrat Vidhi are allowed to consume one meal: kheer, a delicious porridge consisting of milk and rice.
- Devotees attired in the day’s colors, white and red, perform a religious pooja to Lakshmi Maa and God Shukra, which includes mantra chanting and Friday Vrat Aarti.
- Light incense and present the goddess with flowers, fruits, and sweets. Shukra is worshipped with white flowers like white lotuses and jasmine. Leema beans (mochai) or field beans are also offered as offerings.
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Conclusion
Shukravar Vrat holds great significance in Hinduism as it allows devotees of Maa Santoshi to communicate with the divine energy and request blessings pertaining to prosperity, happiness, and spiritual fulfillment. Whether by fasting, puja, or reciting the Friday Vrat Aarti, devotees express their love and reverence for Maa Durga and Maa Santoshi on Fridays by asking for their grace and protection. The Friday fast is more than simply a custom; it’s a way to exercise self-control and discipline while enjoying several mental and physical health advantages. We can benefit from improved physical health, spiritual development, and mindfulness by embracing this Friday Fast Vidhi.
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