"Usually, after prayers at home, I go to the temple near my house which has a large banyan tree, where I pour water, tie red threads around the tree coated with vermilion and then go around the tree seven times, praying to Savitri for a long and happy marital life and a peaceful, healthy life for my husband. After having fasted for the entire day, usually I have the bhoga or offering made to the gods, which consists of wet pulses, rice, mango, jackfruit, lemon, banana and several other fruits,” says S Vidya, a homemaker.

“In addition to the normal rituals of tying the red thread along the banyan tree and observing the three-day fast in my ancestral home in Bihar, I, along with my sisters-in-law, draw a banyan tree using a paste made of turmeric and sandalwood and sit near the drawing and pray for several hours and pray for not only the well being of our respective husbands but also for a happy and fulfilling life. The eating of the roots of the banyan tree along with water is another important ritual as in the roots of the banyan tree lies Brahma, in the stem lies Janardhan and in the top portion lies Shiva and in totality there's Devi Savitri. Finally, to accomplish this vow in totality, all women folk in our house offer clothes, fruits, sindoor (Vermilion), kumkum in a copper vessel to a Brahmin,” says Amrita Shrivastav, another housewife.

“The rituals associated with this festival speak of a deep bond betwen a married woman and her husband and even though traditions may vary from place to place, the zest and the basis of celebrating the festival remain the same. The festival is all about the love and devotion of a wife to her husband, and about the lady being able to face any difficulty for the well being of her family,” adds Sharma.