Budhvar Vrat Katha

Traditionally the Wednesday fast begins on the first Wednesday of the bright fortnight (shukla paksha), often for twenty-one Wednesdays. Devotees wear green, worship Budh Dev and Ganesh ji, give green moong and green things in charity, hear the katha, and eat once in the day.

A man went to his in-laws' home to bring his wife back. After a few days he asked to leave. It was a Wednesday. His in-laws said that in their family it was not considered good to send a daughter off on a Wednesday, and asked him to wait a day. But he would not listen. He insisted, seated his wife in the bullock cart and set off.

On the way his wife became thirsty. He took a pot and went to fetch water. When he came back, he was shocked. Next to his wife in the cart sat a man who looked exactly like him, the same face, the same clothes. The two began to argue over who was the real husband. Even the wife could not tell them apart.

A crowd gathered, and the king's soldiers arrived. No one could say who was genuine. Then the man prayed silently: 'Lord, I made a mistake by ignoring my elders. Forgive me.' The moment he sincerely admitted his fault, the other man vanished.

As the katha tells it, this was Budh Dev's own play, meant to make him see his stubbornness. Husband and wife reached home safely. From that day on they both kept the Wednesday fast and worshipped Budh Dev with devotion.