नवीनतम
Kojagiri Purnima and its significance
Hindus refer to the Full Moon Day as the Purnima Tithi, and it is deemed one of the best days to worship the family deity or the Satya Narayan form of Lord Vishnu. And since there are twelve Lunar months, Purnima Tithi is observed twelve times a year. However, the one that falls in the month of Ashwin is the most significant. Hence, this Full Moon Day is widely celebrated in several Indian states. Interestingly, the term Sharad indicates the Autumn season, and thus the name Sharad Purnima. This year, Kojagiri Purnima will be observed today.
The literal meaning of Kojagiri is the one who is awakened, and therefore this day is also named Jagrit Purnima. Unmarried w?men keep f?st in the hope of finding a suitable gr??m. Just like Diwali, people light up their homes with diyas.
Sharad Purnima is considered to be the most auspicious Purnima among all the other ones. Lord Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is believed to be born with 16 kalas. And on the night of Shard Purnima, it is believed that the moon comes out with all 16 kalas and moon rays emit healing properties that have the power to heal our body and mind.
Preparing rice kheer and leaving it in the moonlight for the entire night is the most important ritual of Sharad Purnima. The day after Sharad Purnima, the kheer is distributed and consumed as prasad in the morning.
In sever?l Indi?n st?tes, Sh?r?d ?urnim? is ?ls? ?elebr?ted ?s ? harvest festival. Many devotees w?rshi? G?ddess L?kshmi ?nd L?rd Shiv?. It is believed th?t G?ddess L?kshmi descends on earth and bestows her devotees with divine blessings. Hence, to celebrate her ‘aagaman’, people sing bhajans, dance and stay awake the entire night.
People, especially women observe the day-long Sharad Purnima fast (vrat) and prayers to Goddess Laxmi and Lord Vishnu. The puja samagri must include incense, lamp, kheer as an offering. Many people also feed brahmans and provide offerings to pandits.
In several parts of eastern India such as Bengal, Assa, Odisha, eastern Bihar, Goddess Lakshmi or Maa Lokkhi is worshipped on Sharad Purnima. Maa Lokkhi as Lakshmi or the goddess of wealth is called in Bengali is described as chapala or fickle-minded and so devotees worship Lakshmi to win her affection and blessings. According to legend, the Goddess Lakshmi visits the houses of people to bless them when they worship her at night. Kojagari is derived from the Bengali words Ke Jago Re meaning 'who is awake' and it is believed that the goddess visits houses where people worship her on that night.
Kojagiri Purnima: Tithi timings
The Purnima Tithi begins at 7:03 PM on October 19 and ends at 8:26 PM on October 20.
Moonrise time
The Moon is expected to rise at 5:20 PM
Puja shubh muhurat
The Sharad Purnima puja must be performed between 11:41 PM on October 19 to 12:31 AM on October 20.
Kojagiri or Sharad Purnima significance
* Various legends are associated with Kojagiri Purnima, and each establishes the importance of this Full Moon Day.
* On the day of Sharad Purnima, the Moon emerges with all its sixteen Kalas or phases. And each of these Kala represents a virtue/quality.
* Interestingly, Shri Krishna (the ninth avatar of Lord Vishnu), born in the Dwapar Yuga to Vasudev and Devaki, was endowed with sixteen Kalas. Moreover, on the day of Sharad Purnima, Shri Krishna performed the Raas Leela with the Gopis of the Braj region. During Raas Leela (Maha Raas), hailed as the divine dance of love, Shri Krishna reflected several images of himself to accompany each Gopi.
* As per a widespread religious belief, the Moon rays have healing properties on this specific day. Therefore, people follow the tradition of preparing kheer (milk and rice pudding) at night and leave it overnight under the moonlight. And on the following day, this food preparation enhanced by the rays of the Moon is consumed as Prasad.
* However, in some regions, folklore suggests that Goddess Lakshmi visits the earth at night. Therefore, devotees worship her on the day of Sharad Purnima and seek her blessings for a prosperous life.
* And interestingly, devotees who hail from various regions worship different deities on this day. For example, some people worship Indra Dev, while some offer their prayers to Lakshmi Devi, the Goddess of wealth. And in some regions, Lord Shiva, his consort Parvati and Nandi, his vahana are revered. Moreover, it is a harvest festival for some people as it marks the end of the monsoon season.
