Santoshi Ma Vrat

Religious observance celebrated on
Fridays in homage to the goddess
Santoshi Ma (“the mother who satisfies”). This religious vow (vrat) is usually
kept by women with the aim of attaining
concrete goals for themselves or (more
commonly) their families: getting a job,
passing an exam, conceiving a child, or
arranging a marriage. When one’s wish
has been granted, a final ceremony
calls for the observant to feed eight
brahmin boys a meal of rice, yogurt, and
bananas. After this concluding rite,
one is no longer required to observe the
vow, although many women choose
to continue performing it as a means
to maintain the household’s general
good fortune.
The Santoshi Ma Vrat has become
extremely popular throughout northern
India since the late 1970s, one reason
being that it is simple and inexpensive.
On the day of the fast (upavasa) the worshiper should not eat until the evening
meal, although tea and other beverages
are generally allowed. In the late afternoon the worshiper should light a lamp
in front of a picture of Santoshi Ma, offer
her small amounts of chickpeas and raw
sugar—things that can be found in even
the poorest households—and read
aloud the rite’s charter myth, which tells
how a poor, unfortunate woman solved
all her family’s troubles through her
devotion to Santoshi Ma. After this, the
worshiper may eat the evening meal,
although it is also subject to restrictions:
Since Santoshi Ma is a goddess associated with sweetness, the food must not
contain any sour, spicy, or bitter seasonings. This observance thus carries the
two common features of most religious
vows: some form of worship and modification of one’s diet, with the promise of
benefits in return.