Ravivar Vrat: vidhi, katha and rules
Surya dev · Every Sunday
Ravivar Vrat is devoted to Surya dev, the Sun. Many people keep it for 12 Sundays. People keep it praying for good health, clear eyesight, respect and light in the home.
🗓 Coming dates (Delhi)
- Sunday, 8 November 2026
- Sunday, 15 November 2026
- Sunday, 22 November 2026
- Sunday, 29 November 2026
- Sunday, 6 December 2026
- Sunday, 13 December 2026
- Sunday, 20 December 2026
- Sunday, 27 December 2026
Next Shukla paksha begins around Tuesday, 10 November
How it is kept (vidhi)
- Wake before sunrise, bathe and take the sankalp.
- Offer arghya to Surya dev with water in a copper lota, with red flowers, roli and rice.
- Chant Om Suryaya Namah or recite the Aditya Hridayam.
- Read or listen to the Ravivar katha and do the aarti.
- Have one meal before sunset.
Common practices
- Many people avoid salt on the day.
- The meal is usually taken once, before sunset.
- Giving jaggery, wheat and red things in daan is common.
The katha
In a village lived an old woman who had a lovely Sunday habit. Every Sunday she brought cow dung from her neighbour's cow, plastered her floor with it, cooked a simple meal, offered it to Surya dev and then ate.
Her neighbour did not like this and began keeping the cow inside on Sundays. With no dung to plaster the floor, the old woman could not prepare her offering. She did not eat that day and went to sleep quietly.
That night Surya dev came to her in a dream. Touched by her devotion, he gave her a cow and calf of her own. The cow was so special that its dung turned to gold. The neighbour saw this and swapped the cows at night. Word reached the king, who took the special cow to his palace.
Then Surya dev came to the king in a dream and told him the whole story. The king returned the cow to the old woman, had a firm talk with the neighbour, and asked everyone in his kingdom to keep the Sunday vrat. Peace and plenty spread across the land.
Retold in our own words from the traditional story.
Udyapan
After 12 Sundays, many families do the udyapan. A Surya puja, a small havan, and feeding a Brahmin or someone in need with daan of red cloth, jaggery or wheat are common.
Questions
- How many Sundays is the Ravivar Vrat kept?
- Many people take a sankalp of 12 Sundays. Some keep it for a full year or longer. Family customs differ.
- What if I skip a Sunday during travel or illness?
- Many families simply continue the next Sunday. Your earlier count stays. Some people like to offer water to the Sun that day if they can. You can decide what feels right.
This information is awaiting review by a pandit. Traditions differ by family and region.