Raviwar Vrat — Sunday Fast to Surya Dev – Vidhi, Katha and Rules

Surya and Sunday

Sunday, Raviwar, belongs to Surya Dev, the Sun — the one deity everyone can see. In astrology the Sun governs the soul, health and vitality, the eyes, the father, authority and reputation, so the Sunday fast is kept for good health (especially of the eyes and skin), for success and honour in work, and to strengthen a weak or afflicted Sun in the birth chart. It is one of the simplest weekday vrats: its heart is the morning arghya to the rising sun and a single salt-free meal taken while the sun is still in the sky.

When to begin, and how many Sundays

• Begin on the first Sunday of the Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) of any month; many prefer Margashirsha or Paush, and some begin on a Sunday falling in Hasta nakshatra.
• Common vows are 12 Sundays, 30 Sundays, or a full year (52 Sundays). Choose the number at your first sankalp and keep to it.
• If a Sunday is missed through illness or impurity, add one at the end.

The vidhi

1. Before sunrise: wake early, bathe, and wear clean clothes — red or orange if possible.
2. Sankalp on the first Sunday: before the Sun, state how many Sundays you will keep and why.
3. Arghya: fill a copper lota with water and add roli or red chandan, red flowers, akshat and a little jaggery. Facing the rising sun, pour the water slowly in a stream, looking at the sun through the falling water, while chanting Om Ghrini Suryaya Namah (see Surya Arghya for the full method).
4. Worship: offer red flowers, red chandan, dhoop and a ghee lamp before an image of Surya. Recite the Surya Ashtakam, the Aditya Hridaya Stotra or the Surya Chalisa, and hear or read the Raviwar vrat katha.
5. Aarti: close with Om Jai Surya Bhagwan.
6. The meal: eat once, before sunset, without salt or oil — wheat roti or dalia with ghee and jaggery, kheer, or fruit. Offer a portion to Surya first.

The katha, briefly

The katha most families read tells of an old woman who kept the Sunday fast faithfully: every Sunday before sunrise she plastered her courtyard with cow-dung brought from her neighbour's cow, worshipped Surya, heard the katha and ate once. Her household prospered, and the neighbour grew jealous and tied her cow indoors. Without cow-dung, the old woman could not purify her courtyard, so she made no offering and went to sleep hungry. That night Surya appeared in her dream, and pleased with her devotion, gave her a cow and calf. The cow dropped gold instead of dung before dawn — and the neighbour secretly swapped it for ordinary dung every morning, growing rich. Surya sent a storm; the old woman tied the cow indoors and discovered the gold. The jealous neighbour then reported the wonderful cow to the king, who seized it — but Surya warned the king in a dream to return it or lose his palace. The king gave back the cow with gifts, punished the neighbour, and proclaimed that everyone in the kingdom should keep the Sunday fast.

The katha's message is the vrat's: steady devotion, even when circumstances prevent the ritual, is what Surya rewards.

Udyapan

On the Sunday after the last vrat, do a fuller Surya puja and havan if possible, and feed brahmins or needy people a salt-free meal. Donate items connected with the Sun: red cloth, wheat, jaggery, red sandalwood, and a copper vessel, with dakshina.

Rules and cautions

• No salt, oil or onion-garlic in the vrat meal; many also avoid fish and meat for the whole day.
• Eat before sunset — the Sun should witness the meal. Some traditions instead keep a nakta fast and eat once at night; follow your family's custom.
• Do not look directly at the sun except through the falling water of the arghya, and never at midday.
• Diabetics, pregnant women and the elderly can take fruit or milk more than once; the arghya and prayer are the core.

Frequently asked questions

How many Raviwar vrats should be kept?

Commonly 12; some keep 30 or a full year of Sundays. Decide the number at the first sankalp.

What can be eaten in the Sunday fast?

One meal before sunset without salt or oil — wheat roti or dalia with ghee and jaggery, kheer, or fruit and milk.

When should the Raviwar vrat begin?

On the first Sunday of a Shukla Paksha; Margashirsha and Paush are popular months to begin.

Which mantra should be chanted on Sunday?

Om Ghrini Suryaya Namah during arghya; the Aditya Hridaya Stotra or Surya Ashtakam in the puja.

Is the Raviwar vrat good for eyesight and skin?

Tradition links the Sun with the eyes and skin, and the vrat is widely kept for both — alongside, not instead of, medical care.

What should be donated on Sunday?

Wheat, jaggery, red cloth, red flowers or a copper vessel, especially at the udyapan.