Maha Shivaratri

Falls in February-March. And is regarded as the best Shiva vrata. A legend in Annamalai Puranam (that is cited also for Thirukkarthikai) says about this festival that, in an argument as to who of them was greater, Brahma and Vishnu decided that it would be the one who saw the crown or feet of Lord Shiva; that Vishnu then went to search for Shiva’s feet, and Brahma for Shiva’s crown; that Vishnu failed in his quest and admitted defeat, while Brahma claimed, falsely, to have seen Shiva’s crown and produced as evidence the cactus flower thazhampoo; and that, as a consequence, Shiva appeared in the form of a flame and laid down that there would be no temple worship for Brahma while in all places with a Shiva temple there would be one for Vishnu, too. Shiva thus manifested as a flame on krishna paksha chaturthi in Masi month. This is Shivaratri. The true import of this legend in Annamalai Puranam is to be found in the dvaita-advaita principles. Brahma is advaitam, involving what is called nirguna upasana, where there is no place for idol worship. Shaiva siddhanta and vaishnava siddhantha lay stress on saguna upasana and idol worship. It is hence that there are Shiva-Vishnu temples under the dvaita and visishtadvaita systems, while there is none for Brahma under advaita. This is how we need to interpret this legend and not that one deity is greater than another. Another ancient text says that Parvati once playfully covered Shiva’s eyes with her palms, causing the world to be plunged in darkness. In remorse over the woe caused to humanity by her action, Parvati offered worship to Shiva through that night. And she prayed that anyone doing Shiva puja during all four yamas of that night should be given every boon. Shiva acceded her request, naming the night Shivaratri. Shivaratri is of five kinds: nitya Shivaratri, paksha Shivaratri, masa Shivaratri, yoga Shivaratri, and Maha Shivaratri. Nitya Shivaratri is on chaturdasi, fourteenth day, after each amavasya (new moon) and pournami (full moon). There are 24 Nitya Shivaratri in a year. Paksha Shivaratri is Shiva worship for 13 days from the day after pournami in Thai. Masa Shivaratri is on krishna paksha chaturdasi each month. Yoga Shivaratri occurs each month on the Monday that is chaturdasi from sunrise to 10 in the morning or is an amavasya for twentyfour hours from sunrise. Maha Shivratri is at midnight on chaturdasi, fourteenth day, in krishna paksha in the month Masi. The auspicious time is between midnight and one in the morning when the Lord manifested before Parvati in the form of Shivalinga. According to agamas, the Shivaratri where the day is trayodasi and the night chaturdasi is the most exalted; it is of the middle kind if it is not even to a little extent trayodasi; and least exalted when the day is tinged with amavasya.

Panguni Uthiram

Falls in the month Panguni (March-April). This month is special because of the star Uthiram and pournami occurring together. Besides, it is on Panguni pournami Uthiram that the marriage of Parvati and Parameswara, Muruga and Devasena, and Andal (also known as Kothai) and Rangamannar took place. Again, Valmiki’s Ramayan says it is on this day and star that Sita’s marriage with Rama was celebrated. From Brahmanda Puranam we learn that on Panguni Uthiram every holy water joins Thumburu teertha, one of seven sacred tanks in Tirupati Tirumala. The ancients chose Uthiram to convey to humans that it is for underlining the glory of grahasta dharma (married life) that the Almighty manifests in the marital state as Uma Maheswara, Sita Rama, and Radha Krishna – despite his changelessness, sans childhood or youth or old age. The Lord is indeed a Nitya Kalyana Murthi. It is our duty to celebrate this day when the Lord, in both Shiva and Vishnu temples, appears to devotees in his married state. On Panguni Uthiram, in all places where Lord Subrahmanya has a temple, his devotees carry in a kavadi the requisites for puja for him, in fulfilment of vows. Such vow fulfilment by devotees carrying kavadis is a special feature of Subrahmanya temples wherever they happen to be.

Sri Rama Navami

Falls in Panguni (March-April). Under the chandra mana computation this festival could also occur in Chaitra (April-May). Of Maha Vishnu’s ten avatars (manifestations) with which everyone is familiar, two are rooted in the popular mind: Krishnavatar and Ramavatar. These are avatars in which the Almighty descended to earth and lived among humans. Sri Rama was born on sukla paksha navami with Punarpoosam star in the month Panguni (Chaitra, under chandra mana). Through his life he demonstrated that Vaishnavism is what embodies love, character, integrity and equanimity. And his birthday has been celebrated since the hoary past. Consider what ancient texts say about the efficacy of Rama nama. This name is a shaivite and vaishnavite combination: the second letter “ra” in Narayana and the second letter “ma” in Namahshivaya combine to become the word Rama. This is the taraka mantra, sings Saint Tyagaraja. There was once a man who looked after his family through resort to robbery and killing of bird and beast. A sage who happened to pass that way asked the man whether he knew it was a sin to rob and kill. The man answered, “But I do these not for myself alone, I have a wife and family; and, since they share in the sin, only a small part of it will attach to me.” Verify if this is really so, the sage asked him. The man went home, and asked his family members: “Committing sinful actions, I look after you; do you, or do you not, have a share in that sin?” Their answer was that since it was his responsibility to look after them, no part of the sin would attach to them. The man recounted their reply to the sage and beseeched him to tell of a means to get liberated from sin. The sage pointed to a maramara tree and asked him to do japa repeating its name. And the man kept doing so even as an anthill of mud and leaves grew over him. As he repeated it, the word maramara became transfigured as Rama Rama. The legend is that this man was Valmiki who went on to write the epic Ramayan. Another legend has it that there was a dispute once in Kailash as to who should be appointed leader of Shiva’s ganas, or armies, and it was settled that it would be the one who circled the world first. Shiva’s forces immediately took to their mount to go round the world. Lord Vinayaka, however, wrote the taraka mantra “Rama” and went round the word, thereby acquiring the benefit of circling the earth. And he became ganapati or chief of ganas. Since then he has come to be known as Ganapati. Such is the power of the name Sri Rama bears. It is his birthday on a navami that we celebrate as Sri Rama Navami.

Ugadhi

(Andhra, Karnataka, Maratha New Year’s Day. In March-April)

The waxing and waning phases of the moon form the month in the Telugu, Kannada and Marathi calendar, a chandra mana calendar based on the movement of the moon. The 30-day month starts on the day after new moon day (amavasya) and ends on the following new moon day. The twelve months in this calendar are called Chaitra, Vaisakha, Jyeshta, Ashada, Sravana, Bhadrapadha, Aswija, Karthika, Agrahayana, Pausha, Magha, and Phalguna. The start of Chaitra is new year’s day. In olden days, the thithi denoted what we call date. New moon day, amavasya, with the 14 thithis that follow – called prathama, dwithiya, truthiya, chaturthi, panchami, sashti, sapthami, ashtami, navami, dasami, ekadasi, dwadasi, trayodasi, chaturdasi – and full moon day, pournami, with the 14 thithis that follow and have the same names from prathama to chaturdasi thus comprise the month. The fortnight beginning with amavasya is called suddha paksha; and the fortnight beginning with poornima bahula paksha. Traditionally on Ugadhi a household’s menu includes the neem blossom preparation nimma kusuma bakshana. Also, the panchanga is read and explained.

NEW YEAR

New Year’s Day Tamil New Year’s Day, Chitra Vishu, falling on April 14, is a festival for offering prayers for nature’s bounty and a life of prosperity for oneself and family. In the Andhra, Karnataka and Maratha calendar, New Year’s Day, called Ugadhi, falls around the same time, though not on the same day. Sun’s movement is the measure for the year in the Tamil calendar. Hence the description of the calendar computation as saura mana. The period during which the sun traverses the 12 parts of the rasi mandalam, from Mesha to Meena, constitutes a year. The new year starts on the day the sun moves into Mesha rasi. As the sun leaves one rasi and enters another, a new month is born. Thus the naming of the months as Mesha, Rishabha, Mithuna, Kataka, Simha, Kanni, Thula, Vrischika, Dhanur, Makara, Kumbha, and Meena. Each of these is represented by an animal. Goat stands for Mesha. In the Tamil calendar, the twelve months during which the sun travels through the different rasis are called Chithirai, Vaikasi, Ani, Adi, Avani, Purattasi, Aippasi, Karthikai, Marghazhi, Thai, Masi, and Panguni (corresponding, respectively, to April-May, May-June, June-July, July-August, August-September, September-October, October-November, November-December, December-January, January-February, February-March, and March-April). This twelve-part saura year comprises 365 days, six hours, nine minutes and nine-and-a-half seconds. Thithi, or day, is determined by the position of the sun in relation to the moon in the sky. One-twelfths of that distance denotes each thithi. The day has 60 parts, or nazhi, of 24 minutes each. An hour comprises two and a half nazhis. A muhurtham is of three-and-three-quarter nazhi duration. Each day has 12 muhurthams. The day, between sunrise and sunset, is divided into five distinct kalas or parts, each of 2 hours and 24 minutes duration: Udaya kala – sunrise at 6 a.m. to 8.24 a.m.; sanghava – 8.24 a.m. to 10.48 a.m.; madhyahnika – 10.48 a.m. to 1.12 p.m.; aparahna – 1.12 p.m. to 3.36 p.m.; and sayam kala – 3.36 p.m. to 6 p.m. Chitra Vishu, according to one ancient text, is the day when Brahma started creation. Another text has it that he began his work on Ugadhi. This is a day for offering worship both at temple and at home, preferably in the morning, after duly bathing. Bath for many on this day is with a concoction made of flowers, herbs, arugam grass, turmeric and milk. This practice still prevails in places like Singapore and Sri Lanka. Also on this day the new almanac, or panchangam, is read and elaborated at temples. It is common to find a neem blossom pachchadi in the menu of households on this day. Some offer rice pongal to the Almighty as they worship Him. Starting the new year with worship and prayer ensures one’s welfare throughout the year. One should participate also in the special worship at temples, in the evening if one is busy during the day, and pray for the good of one’s country and of the world, besides one’s own welfare.

CHITRA POORNIMA

Occurs in April-May, on the day on which the star Chitra and full moon come together – a day when earth receives the combined effulgence of the moon and the star Chitra. A special day and special festival. Poornima is a day dear to the Mother. Both full moon and new moon days are good for propitiating forefathers. In astrology, moon is matru karaka. Austerities on this day please the spirit of one’s mother. It is on this day that the Umamaheswara vratam is observed. Ancients believed that austerities on poornima in the months Chittirai and Aippasi keep the souls of ancestors resting in peace. Chitra Poornima is, according to scriptures, the birthday of Chitragupta who keeps account of our virtues and sins. This day is one on which austerities are observed also to propitiate him. Legend has it that once Indra, offending Guru and incurring sin, reached earth in quest of a remedy, and happened to see a Shiva linga under a kadamba tree by the side of a pond. With golden hued lotuses from the pond, he worshipped the Shiva linga and was redeemed from his sin. And he had a temple constructed at the spot. That spot is present-day Madurai in South India with its Meenakshi temple. It was on Chitra Poornima that Indra got cleansed of his sins. On this day in the Madurai Meenakshi temple Devendra puja continues to be performed. In vaishnavite shrines like Tirupati and Azhagar koil, there is a perennial spring known as Akasa Ganga, in which, according to Brahmanda puranam, every holy river joins on Chitra Poornima. The devout bathe in Akasa Ganga on this day.

[Home] [Festivals] [jan_feb] [Mar_Apr] [May_june] [July_Aug] [Sep_oct] [Nov_dec] [Related Articles] [Photo Gallery] [FAQ] [About Agamam] [Reflections on Veda] [Rituals of Hindu Marriage] [Religious Calendar] [Related LInks] [Upanishadh] [Contact Me]