Ravivar Vrat in Hindu Religion is dedicated to Surya, the
Sun God in Hinduism. The popular belief is that observing Sunday fasting will
help in early cure of skin diseases. Long ago there lived a pious old lady who
performed Ravivar Vrat without fail. She used to get up early on Sunday morning,
plaster her house with cow dung and then offer food to Surya. The old lady led
a very happy life with the blessing of Sun God.
The old lady did not own a cow so she used to collect cow
dung from her neighbor’s cowshed. The neighbor lady was jealous of the happy
life of the old lady. So to stop the Ravivar fasting of the old lady, she
started tying the cow inside her house.
The next Ravivar, the old lady could not offer her prayers
as there was no cow dung to plaster the place. So she did not cook any food and
went hungry the whole day.
The sun god appeared in her dream in the night and blessed
her with a beautiful cow and a calf. In morning, the old lady found the same
cow and calf that was in her dream standing in her courtyard.
To the old lady’s surprise, the cow was giving golden dung.
She was even more happier and she used the gold to feed poor and hungry people.
The neighbor lady grew jealous over the prosperity of the
old lady and informed the king about the magical cow. The greedy king then
ordered the cow to be confiscated.
The old lady tried to reason with the soldiers. But they
forcible took away the cow. The old lady could do nothing but cry over the loss
and offer prayers to Surya.
In the palace, the king and his courtiers started feeding
cow with extra grass and hay. They wanted the cow to give huge deposits of
golden dung. Finally the overfed cow put dung. But it was not golden dung but smelly
cow dung. The cow did not stop putting dung and it filled the entire palace
with cow dung.
An angry king asked the cow to be returned to the old lady.
The neighbor’s wife was taken to the palace and was given
the punishment of cleaning the palace.
The old lady was happy to find the cow and calf back. She
fed the cow and calf and then offered food to Surya.
The morning the cow again put golden dung.
People then realized that the cow gave golden dung as result
of the old lady observing Ravivar Vrat.