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| Kartik Poornima |
- celebrated on the full moon day of the Karthik
- On this day the Hindus take a dip in the sacred river Ganga or Puskar or in the confluence of Ganga and Gandak near Hariharnath Temple, Sonepur
- It was on this day that a king of elephants who was caught by a crocodile in the river could save his life by the grace of God (Vishnu)
- is a Hindu, Jain and Sikh holy festival, celebrated on the Purnima (full moon) day or the fifteenth lunar day of Kartika (November–December)
- the festival of lights of the gods
- Tripuri Poornima or Tripurari Poornima derives its name from Tripurari - the foe of the demon Tripurasura
- In some legends of Kartik Poornima, the term is used to denote the three demon sons of Tarakasur
- Tripurari is an epithet of god Shiva
- Shiva in his form as Tripurantaka ("Killer of Tripurasura") killed Tripurasura on this day
- Tripurasura had conquered the whole world and defeated the gods and also created three cities in space, together called "Tripura"
- The killing of the demon(s) and destruction of his/their cities with a single arrow - by Shiva overjoyed the gods and they declared the day as a festival of illuminations
- This day is also called "Dev-Diwali" - the Diwali of the gods
Celebrating Kartik Poornima
- Kartik Poornima is also the birthday of Matsya, god Vishnu's fish-incarnation (Avatar)
- It is also the birthday of Vrinda, the personification of the Tulsi plant and of Kartikeya, the god of war and son of Shiva
- This day also is considered special for Radha, the lover of Krishna - Vishnu's incarnation
- It is believed that Krishna and Radha danced rasa and Krishna worshipped Radha on this day
- This day is also dedicated to the pitrs, dead ancestors
- Underhill believes that the origins of this festival may lie in ancient times when a sacrifice called Shakamedhah was performed to attain victory over enemies
- The festival has, even more, significance when the day falls in the nakshatra (lunar mansion) Krittika and is then called Maha Kartik
- The nakshatra Bharani, the results are stated to be special
Rows of oil lamps line the banks
of the Yamuna river during the
Devotthan Ekadashi festival at Baluwa
Ghat in Allahabad, India - If it is Rohini nakshatra, then the fruitful results are even much more
- Any philanthropic act on this day is supposed to bring benefits and blessings equal to the performing often yajnas (sacrifices)
Hindu rituals
- On the first day of the month of Kartik, many women go to the temple of Pashupati
- There they remain for an entire month, fasting and drinking only water
- Some women have died during the fasting but the majority generally survive and on the last day of the month, known as the Purnima, the night is spent rejoicing the success of the fasting by singing and dancing into the night
- Kartik Poornima is closely associated with Prabodhini Ekadashi which marks the end of Chaturmas, a four-month period when Vishnu is believed to sleep
- Prabodhini Ekadashi signifies the awakening of the god
- Chaturmas penance ends on this day
Sonepur Mela
- Many fairs that begin on Prabodhini Ekadashi end on Kartik Poornima, Kartik Poornima usually being the most important day of the fair
- Fairs that conclude on this day include Prabodhini Ekadashi celebrations at Pandharpur and Pushkar Fair
- Kartik Poornima is also the last day to perform Tulsi Vivah ceremony that can be performed from Prabodhini Ekadashi
- Also, it is believed that Vishnu, on this day, returns to his abode after completing his stay in Bali
- Hence, the day is known as Deva-Diwali
- A ritual bath at a tirtha (a sacred water body like a lake or river) at a pilgrimage center is prescribed on Kartik Poornima
- This holy bath is known as "Kartik snana"
- A holy bath at Pushkar or in the Ganges river, especially at Varanasi is deemed as most auspicious
- Kartik Poornima is the most popular day for bathing in the Ganges at Varanasi
- The devotees also take a bath in the evening during moonrise and offer worship by way of six prayers such as Shiva sambuti, Satait and so forth
- Annakuta, an offering of food to the deities, is held in temples
- People who have taken vows on Ashwin full moon day, end them on Kartik Poornima
- God Vishnu is also worshipped on this day
- Any form of violence (himsa) is prohibited on this day
- This includes shaving, hair-cutting, cutting of trees, plucking of fruits and flowers, cutting of crops and even, sexual union
- Charity especially donation of cows, feeding of Brahmins, fasting are religious activities prescribed for Kartik Poornima
- Giving gift of gold is said to fulfill all desires of people
- Tripuri Poornima is only next to Mahashivratri, amongst festivals dedicated to Shiva worship
- To commemorate the killing of Tripurasura, images of Shiva are carried in procession
- Temple complexes in southern India are lit up throughout the night
- Deepmalas or towers of lights are illuminated in temples
Jal Dharan at Harihar Nath
- People place 360 or 720 wicks in temples, to secure escape reaching hell after death
- The 720 wicks symbolizes the 360 days and nights of the Hindu calendar
- In Varanasi, the ghats come alive with thousands of diyas (brightly lit earthen lamps)
- People gift lamps to priests
- The lamps are kept throughout the night in houses and Shiva temples
- This day is also known as "Kartik Diparatna" - the jewel of lamps in Kartik
- Lights are also floated in miniature boats in rivers
- Lights are placed under Tulsi, Sacred fig, and Amla trees
- The lights in the water and under trees are believed to help fishes, insects, and birds who saw the light to attain salvation
- To start with, it is believed that Lord Vishnu took the Matsya avatar on the day of Kartik Purnima
- The celebration of Dev Deepawali is conducted to mark the victory of Lord Shiva over the demon Tripurasura
- Significance For Hindus Kartik Purnima marks the end of the Chaturmas period during which the Gods are believed to sleep
- On the day of the Kartik Purnima, the Gods are said to awaken and hence many rituals and fairs are conducted on this day
- According to legends, Lord Shiva killed a demon named Tripurasura on the day of Kartik Purnima and so people light lamps to celebrate His victory
- This celebration by lighting lamps is known as the Dev Deepawali and is celebrated on a huge scale in the holy city of Varanasi
- On the day of the Kartik Purnima, the worship of Goddess Tulsi is also observed
- People light lamps and worship the Tulsi plant for better health and prosperity
- Many fairs like the Pushkar fairs in Rajasthan and other parts are also conducted on the day of Kartik Purnima
- The doors of the temple of Lord Adinath open after a period of four months
- So, there is a huge gathering of devotees to worship their Lord
- One has to cover a distance of 216 km on foot through mountainous regions to worship Lord Adinath which is situated on the top of the hill
- Significance For Sikhs Kartik Purnima is also a very auspicious day for the Sikhs
- Sikhs celebrate the birthday of their founder and first Guru, Nanak Dev on this day
- This day is known as Gurupurab and it is one of the major festivals of the Sikhs
