Sat Nov 16 10:09:27 UTC 2024: **Kartik Purnima Celebrated Across India Today**

NEW DELHI, November 15 – Millions of Hindus across India are celebrating Kartik Purnima, a significant religious festival, today. Observed on the full moon day of the Kartik month in the Hindu lunar calendar, the festival holds immense religious and spiritual importance. Devotees partake in rituals including sacred river bathing, prayers, and charity. Donating to the needy is believed to bring salvation from sins, with the merit gained from bathing and donating on this day considered equivalent to a month’s worth of worship.

Also known as Dev Deepawali (Festival of Lights of the Gods) and Tripuri Purnima, the day is associated with the legend of Lord Shiva’s victory over the demon Tripurasura. It’s believed that following his victory, Lord Shiva lit hundreds of lamps in Kashi (Varanasi), leading to the festival’s association with light. The day is also considered auspicious for receiving the blessings of Lord Vishnu, with Ganga river bathing said to cleanse sins and invite positive energy. Furthermore, Hindus believe that Lord Vishnu took his first incarnation, Matsya Avatar, on this day.

Auspicious timings for the day include Brahma Muhurta (4:57 AM – 5:50 AM), Abhijit Muhurta (11:43 AM – 12:26 PM), and Vijay Muhurta (1:52 PM – 2:35 PM). Bathing and donating can be performed throughout the day. Lighting an unbroken lamp for Lord Vishnu is believed to bestow divine radiance, wealth, fame, and glory, while lighting lamps after Ganga bathing is considered equivalent to the merit of performing ten sacrifices.

This year’s Kartik Purnima features several auspicious yogas (astrological combinations), including the Chandra Mangal Raja Yoga, Gajakesari Yoga, Budhaditya Raja Yoga, and Shash Raja Yoga. Additionally, Saturn is turning direct in Aquarius. The lighting of lamps (deepdaan) in homes, temples, and water bodies is a crucial aspect of the celebrations, considered one of the most sacred forms of worship according to the Agni Purana.

Read More