Thursday Fast - Rituals, Method, and Benefits

This article explains everything you need to know about fasting on Thursdays, including the fast Katha, benefits, rituals, aarti, and do’s and don’ts.

Fasting is vital in Hinduism for its mental, physical, and spiritual benefits. It brings peace to the mind, detoxes the body, and helps one seek the blessing of the divine. Moreover, Hindu mythology dedicates each day of the week to a particular God or the celestial body. For instance, Thursday (also known as Brihaspativar or Guruvar) is dedicated to the guardian of the universe, i.e., Lord Vishnu and the planet Jupiter. Hence, many devotees keep a Thursday fast (Vrat) to get the Lord Vishnu and Jupiter’s blessings for their protection and well-being. 

In this article, we are going to dive deeper into the Thursday or Guruvar Vrat, its benefits, the Vrat Vidhi (method), do’s and don’t of this fast, beginning with the Vrat Katha (Story) to highlight its significance in Hinduism. 

Guruvar Vrat Katha

Ages ago, a woman lived in a small village. She was an intense Lord Vishnu devotee. Everyone knew of her unwavering faith in God. This woman used to fast religiously with complete trust in the Lord and spent every Thursday in the temple, performing prayers and rituals to appease Lord Vishnu. Though extremely devoted, her life was full of hardships. Despite being poor and struggling to make ends meet, she never lost her faith. 

Once, while going to the temple on a Thursday, she crossed paths with a holy man who asked her for charity. However, all she could offer was devotion and prayers, as she had nothing to give. Moved by her piety, the holy man blessed her and asked her to start fasting on Thursdays with the same dedication as now. 

Gradually, her condition improved, and her husband got another job. Prosperity and satisfaction found their way into her life, and she credited the fortune to her unshakable faith and the Thursday Vrat she observed. 

This Vrat Katha signifies devotion and faith have immense power, and Thursday fasting can bring prosperity, wisdom, and good fortune to your life. 

Moreover, observing a fast on Thursday has several benefits. Let us look at them before moving to the Thursday fast Vidhi. 

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Thursday Fasting Benefits 

Keeping a Guruvar Vrat or a fast on Thursdays has several advantages, such as the following. 

• It helps you get an ideal life partner. 

• Fasting on Thursdays removes obstacles in the way of a happy married life. 

• It helps you seek Goddess Laxmi’s blessings for a prosperous life. 

• This fast improves your and your family’s health. 

• It keeps enemies at bay. 

If you want to get the above and all other benefits, you can keep a Thursday fast with full devotion, following the rituals below. 

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Step-By-Step Thursday Fast Vidhi 

Below are the complete rituals for observing a Vrat or fast on Thursdays. 

Morning practices (before dawn)

• Wake up before sunrise
• Take a bath and wear yellow-colored clothes 

Resolve to keep a Thursday Fast

• Sit keeping a Lord Vishnu image or idol in front of you
• Lit a ghee lamp 
• Offer fruits, sweets, and yellow-colored flowers
• Resolve to fast devotedly, and sleek God’s blessings 

Perform prayers 

• Recite Vishnu Sahasranama or related hymns (Stotras) to appease Lord Vishnu
• Offer yellow rice, sandalwood paste, yellow sweets, and turmeric to the god 
• Please Brihaspati by reciting “Om Graam Greem Graum Sah Gurave Namah”- the Brihaspati mantra 

Perform charity 

• Donate clothes, yellow food, or other necessary materials to the needy
• Feed the cows with bananas or yellow sweets 

Keep the fast

• Observe the Thursday fast from sunrise to sunset
• If you cannot abstain from food altogether (due to medical or other reasons), you can consume only fruits, yellow-colored food items (sweets), or milk

Pray in the evening 

• Repeat the puja and prayer you performed in the morning
• Present fruits, sweets, and yellow flowers to Lord Vishnu
• Light the ghee lamp (Diya)
• Chant hymns and prayers 

Narrate the Katha 

• Narrate the Guruvar Vrat Katha sitting with your family members 

Perform Thursday Vrat aarti 

• Conduct Lord Vishnu’s aarti (shared in the later part of this article) to conclude the rituals 
• Distribute the puja’s prasad to all your family members 

Break the fast 

• Break your fast by eating simple food items in yellow color 

In addition to the above Thursday fasting ritual, you must keep in mind a few things when fasting on Thursday. Let us look at the same. 

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Do’s and Don’ts of Brihaspati Vrat 

You must follow these guidelines when fasting on Thursdays. 

Do’s of Thursday Fast

• Eat apples, papayas, and other seasonal fruits
• Include yogurt, milk, and other dairy products in your meal
• Consume grains such as yellow rice and gram flour items
• Eat sweets like Kheer, Ladoos, and Halwa 
• Have foods made using turmeric as the key spice 
• Eat only once in the day, i.e., in the evening 

Don’ts of Thursday Fast

• Do not eat non-vegetarian food
• Avoid including onions and garlic in your meal
• Refrain from eating processed and junk foods 
• Avoid overly oily or spicy foods 
• If you are married, do not wash your hair on Thursday
• Do not use soap and avoid washing clothes on this day
• Avoid applying oil on your head
• Do not cut your nails 
• Avoid wiping off the floor 
• Do not shave
• Avoid giving money to the washerman on this day
• Refrain from indulging in sexual activities 

Along with these guidelines, you should remember the following aarti. 

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Thursday Vrat Aarti 

Om Jai Bhraspati Deva, Jai Bhraspati Deva.
Chin chin Bhoog Lagaoon Phal Mewa II OM II

Tum Puran Parmatama, tum Antaryami.
Jagatpita Jagdeeshvar tum sabke Swami II OM I

Charnamrit nij nirmal, sab patak harta.
Sakal Manorath Dayak, kripa karo Bharta II OM II

Tan Mann Arpankar jo jann sharan pade.
Prabhu prakat tab hokar, Aakar Dwar Khade II OM II

Deen Dayal DayaNiddhi, Bhaktan Hitkari.
Paap Dosh sab Harta, Bhav Bandhan Haar II OM II

Sakal Manorath Dayak, sab Sanshay taro.
Vishay Vikar Mitao Santan Sukhkari II OM II

Jo Koi Aarti Teri Prem Sahit Gave.
Jaeshtanand Band so so Nischay Pave II OM II

Sab Bolo Vishnu Bhagwan ki Jai.
Sab Bolo Bhraspati Bhagwan ki Jai .

End Note 

In addition to various physical and mental benefits, the Thursday fast helps you build a strong spiritual bond with the divine to seek their blessings for a happy, prosperous, and healthy life. You can follow the Vidhi and guidelines in this article to observe the fast. However, if you have any questions or concerns, you can contact our astrologers for expert guidance.