Month: November 2023

Kartik Purnima in 2023

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Kartik Purnima, is a significant Hindu festival, is one such moment when the cosmos aligns to infuse our lives with divine grace and enlightenment. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and marks the day when he took birth as Kartikeya, the son of Lord Shiva. The festival also holds great significance for Jain devotees, as Lord Mahavira attained Nirvana on this day. It is a time of heightened spiritual energy and an opportunity for seekers to intensify their devotion and advance on their spiritual path.

Kartik Purnima, also known as Tripurari Purnima, marks the full moon day in the month of Kartik (usually in October or November) according to the Hindu lunar calendar. The festival is a celebration of Lord Shiva’s victory over the demon, Tripurasaura. This festival is also celebrated in honour of Lord Vishnu. On this day, he had incarnated as Matsya, which is his very first avatar. The Hindu legend says that on this day, Gods had descended to the earth into the sacred rivers. This is why, during Kartik Purnima, the devotees bathe themselves in sacred rivers, and believe that they receive the blessings of Gods. The significance of this festival increases when it falls in the Nakshatra Krittika (lunar mansion). This is when it is called Maha Kartik.

Kartik Purnima in 2023 is celebrated in 27 November.

– Purnima Tithi will begin at 3:54 pm on 26 NOV 2023.

– Purnima Tithi will end at 2:46 pm on 27 NOV 2023.

Observing a fast on Kartik Purnima is considered highly auspicious in Hinduism. By observing a fast, one can attain the blessings of Lord Vishnu and seek his divine intervention in their life. Here are some ways to observe a fast on Kartik Purnima:

– The day should start with a holy bath in a river or any other holy water body. It purifies the body and soul.

– During the fast, it is essential to consume only Satvik food, which is pure, light, and easily digestible. Avoid non-vegetarian food, garlic, and onions. You can eat fruits, nuts, and milk products.

– Throughout the day, recite mantras and prayers dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It will help you to focus on the divine and seek his blessings.

– Visit the temple and offer prayers to Lord Vishnu. Light diyas and incense sticks offer flowers to the deity. It will create a peaceful and serene environment and help you to connect with the divine.

– On Kartik Purnima, it is highly auspicious to donate to the needy. You can donate clothes, food, or money to the underprivileged.

– In the evening, after sunset, break the fast with Prasad offered to Lord Vishnu. This Prasad can be fruits, dry fruits, milk, or other Satvik food.

Don’ts:

– Do not consume non-vegetarian food or alcohol.

– Do not consume onions or garlic because they are impure.

– Avoid eating food cooked by others; instead, prepare your food.

– Do not engage in any sinful activities like gambling, lying, or cheating.

– Avoid using harsh words and practice kindness and compassion.

– Do not waste food or resources.

– Refrain from indulging in any kind of violence.

In the realm of astrology, Purnima tithi is regarded as an exceptionally propitious day, and employing specific remedies during this time can assist in dispelling negative energy:

Chanting Mantras: Reciting mantras stands out as one of the most potent astrological remedies. On the day of Purnima, reciting mantras such as the Gayatri Mantra, Mahamrityunjaya Mantra, or Vishnu Sahasranama can contribute to overcoming obstacles and infusing positive energy into one’s life.

Appeasing the Moon God: Engaging in the worship of the Moon god on Purnima can usher in tranquillity and prosperity. Offering white flowers, milk, and white sweets to the Moon not only aids in dispelling negative energy but also attracts good fortune into one’s life. Aside from that, one can get rid of malefic effects of the moon in the birth chart by performing the “Chandra Graha Shanti Puja”.

Dev Uthani Ekadashi

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Dev uthani Ekadashi is popularly known as Prabodhini Ekadashi. It is one of the most important Ekadashis celebrated in India among all 24 of them. It always falls on the 11th day (Ekadashi) of the bright half of the Kartik month of the Shukla Paksha which usually occurs in October or November and is prominently celebrated in some of the north Indian states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Dev Uthani Ekadashi represents the beginning of an auspicious phase for Hindus in which they hold events like marriage ceremonies, Naam Karan, etc. The day is devoted to the worship of Lord Vishnu and is considered to be an excellent day for beginning any new venture.

Dev Uthani Ekadashi falls after the four months of Devshayani Ekadashi (when the Lord Vishnu went to Yoga Nidra) according to the Hindu calendar. In the year 2023, Dev Uthani Ekadashi will be celebrated on:

Dev Uthani Ekadashi Date:  23 November 2023, Thursday

Ekadashi Tithi starts: November 03, 2023, at 07:30 p.m

Ekadashi Tithi ends: November 04, 2023, at 06:08 p.m

Ekadashi Parana Timing (breaking of fast) – November 24, 2023, 06:51 a.m to 08:57 a.m

On this day, Hindus offer special puja to Lord Vishnu and perform various rituals related to the festival with a lot of joy and gaiety.

– On this day, the devotees should wake up early in the morning, have a bath, wear fresh clothes and take a vow of fasting with full dedication in front of the idol of Lord Vishnu and Maa Lakshmi.

– Rangoli should also be made after cleaning the puja place and sprinkling the Ganga jal.

– The devotees should keep chanting the divine mantras of Lord Vishnu while fasting during the day.

– In the evening, oil lamps, incense sticks, flowers, fruits and sweets are offered to the Lord.

–  Ekadashi prasadam excludes grains, non-vegetarian food items, rice, pulses, onion, and garlic.

–  One can consume fruits, milk products, makhana, rajgira flour, kuttu’s flour, singhara’s flour, dry fruits and paneer on ekadashi.

– The Dev Uthani Ekadashi Vrat Katha should be read and Prasad is distributed among the devotees after the puja.

– Donating food and other life essentials to the poor and needy is also considered auspicious on this day.

The fast is broken on the next morning:

Nirjala: One who has fasted Nirjala or has not consumed even water on the day of Ekadashi, can break their fast with water or liquid Prasadam.

Jalahar: One, who has kept fast with only having water on the day of Ekadashi, can break their fast by having fruits prasadam.

Falahar: and those who have kept fast with having fruits on the day of Ekadashi, can break their fast by having grains prasadam

Dev Uthani Ekadashi marks the end of Chaturmas, a four-month-long period during which Lord Vishnu is believed to be asleep. On this day, Hindus perform special rituals to wake Lord Vishnu from his deep slumber. The term Dev Uthani means ‘to wake up God’, and it is seen as a way of paying respect to the deity by the devotees. In some parts of India, devotees stay awake for the entire night and sing hymns and chant prayers. The festival is also an opportunity for the devotees to seek the divine blessings of Lord Vishnu.

Tulsi Vivah is organized in many temples on Dev Uthani Ekadashi. Couples who do not have a girl child get the happiness of doing Kanyadaan during Tulsi Vivah. Bhog is prepared for Lord Vishnu and Tulsi leaves are added to it. The purpose of conducting Tulsi Vivah is to send out a message on environmental protection. The message goes loud and clear that plants and trees are regarded as forms of God which give us oxygen for life. Therefore, it’s necessary to conserve and protect them. There’s also a ritual of gifting Tulsi plants to friends and family on Dev Uthani Ekadashi 2023.

Chhath puja 2023

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Chhath puja is one of the most important festivals of UP and Bihar which lies in the North-East part of India. It is an auspicious occasion and is celebrated every year. Prayers are presented to the sun deity Surya during Chhath Puja in order to thank him for all the blessings in life and to request that special wishes come true. The auspicious occasion is dedicated to Chhathi Maiya, the sister of Lord Surya and the sixth form of Devi Prakriti.

It is a festival of unity and harmony, where people of all castes and communities come together to celebrate. The rituals surrounding Chhath Puja are supposedly harsher when compared to other Hindu festivals. They involve strict fasting (without water), taking a dip in rivers/water bodies, standing in water and offering prayers, facing the sun for a prolonged period, and offering ‘Prasad’ to the Sun during sunrise and sunset. Any food prepared during the festival will have no salt, onion, or garlic.

The celebrations last for 4 days thanking the Sun God, the source of all powers. Devotees of the Sun God observe a fast called Vrati. In 2023, the Kartik Chhath Puja will be celebrated during the month of November, from 17th to 20th. Chhath Puja dates are based on the Hindu calendar.

Celebration Over 4 Days:

1st Day: Nahay Khay 17th November 2023 (Friday) – This involves taking a dip in a holy water body and fasting all day. Ladies observing the fast can have 1 meal the whole day. The meal has to be home cooked.

2nd Day: Lohanda and Kharna 18th November 2023 (Saturday) – A fast has to be maintained the whole day. It is broken after sunset and with Prasad (popular: Kheer and Chapatti). After this another fast has to be observed for the next 36 hours without water.

3rd Day: Sandhya Arghya 19th November 2023 (Sunday) – Prasad is prepared at home and taken to the river in the evening and offered to the setting sun. Women wear turmeric yellow coloured sarees while performing this ritual.

4th Day: Usha Arghya 20th November 2023 (Monday) – On the last day of the festival, devotees make offerings to the rising sun at the riverbank. On this day, the devotees break their 36-hour fast, resulting in the end of the festival. Relatives share Prasad together.

The muhurat for Chhath Puja 2023 is based on the shashti tithi. It will start at 9:18 am on 18th November 2023, Saturday. It will end at 7:23 am on 19th November 2023, Sunday.  On the day of the Chhath Puja, 19th November, the sunrise will be at 6:46 am. The sunset on the same day will be at 5:26 pm.

Chhath Puja occurs twice a year – once during summer and once during winter. Karthik Chhath is performed on the 6th day of the Karthika month known as Kartika Shukla Shashti. This day falls during October or November every year as per the Hindu Calendar. In the summer, it is celebrated a few days after Holi, and is known as Chaiti Chhath.

There are many beliefs for celebrating this auspicious occasion. The very first one is; There was a King Priyavrat who had no children and once a kid was born, but he was born dead. As a result, the king took the child in his arms to the crematorium, but his grief was also killing him at the same time. Suddenly a devkanya appears and she asks the king to pray the goddess Shashti because she can help him. She was Devsena, daughter of God and she herself was the goddess Shashti. The king followed Devsena and finally, he had a son and, in this way, keeping this fast and puja got famous.

                                                                                           

Bhai dooj 2023 date

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Bhai Dooj is a Hindu festival which is celebrated on the second lunar day of Shukla Paksha in Hindu calendar.  Also known as ‘Bhai Phonta’, ‘Bhai Tika’, ‘Bhau Beej’, and ‘Yamadvitiya’. Bhai Dooj is an auspicious day to celebrate the brother-sister bond. Siblings often anticipate the chance to get together and celebrate their bond on this particular day. The tie of love and devotion between brothers and sisters is strengthened when the brothers show their sisters their affection. Bhai Dooj in 2023 will be observed on Wednesday, November 15, 2023. The shubh muhurat will start when the Dwitiya Tithi takes place on 14 November at 2:38 PM till November 15 at 1:49 PM.

The festival of Bhai Dooj is celebrated across the country in a traditional way. On the occasion, sisters make a seat for their brothers using rice flour. Once the brother sits on the seat, a paste of vermillion, dahi and rice is applied on the forehead of the brothers as a religious tika.

Thereafter, the sister place a flower of Kaddu, betel leaves, betel nuts and coins in the palms of the brother and pour water on it while chanting mantras. Once this is done, a Kalawa is tied on the wrist of the brother and the aarti is performed. The next ritual is to exchange gifts among each and take the blessings of the elders.

In a fable, Lord Krishna is said to have visited his sister on this precious day. Another tradition states that on this day, Yama, the deity of death, paid a visit to his sister Yami, also known as Yamuna. She gave him a warm greeting, put on a tilak, and presented him with delectable food. As a result of her affection, Yama was brought to tears and said that everybody who received a tilak from their sister on this day would be granted a long life. It is similar to the festival of Raksha Bandhan. The brothers are invited for lavish meals by the sisters. The festival signifies a brother’s vow to protect his sister from any harm whereas the sister prays for the welfare for her brother.

Additionally, this legend, which is told on Bhai Dooj, highlights the sibling bond. The story goes that the Sun God Surya Dev had two children with Sangya (also called Saranyu or Saranya): a daughter called Yamuna and a boy named Yama. However, Saranya was unable to endure Surya’s heat, so she gave birth to Chhaya, a woman who looked just like her. She then left her kids with Chhaya and vanished from sight so this festival is also known as Yama Dwitiya and people perform special puja on this day. Want to have vastu tips for home ?

Govardhan Puja 2023 date

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‘Govardhan Puja’ is a famous festival of Hindus. It is widely celebrated in the northern part of India. The festival is celebrated on the first lunar day of Shukla Paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik which is also the fourth day of the Diwali festival. It is also known as Annakut pooja as well as Govardhan pooja. The Govardhan Puja muhurat or Pratipada Tithi begins from 02:56 PM on 13th November and ends on 02:36 PM 14th November or auspicious timing for is as follows:

Govardhan Puja Morning Muhurat

Morning Muhurat: 06:43 AM to 08:52 AM

Duration: 2 hours 9 minutes

Govardhan Puja Evening Muhurat

Evening Muhurat: 02:56 PM to 04:59 PM

Duration: 2 hours 35 minutes

The word ‘go’ here means senses and ‘vardhan’ means increase. It is said that people who worship Govardhan Mountain have an increased devotion and belief in Lord Krishna. On this occasion, every year people celebrate this day with lots of enthusiasm. Elders as well as children take shower early and more than 56 different items are made this day to impress Goddess Annapurna.

There is a mythological story as to why Govardhan puja is celebrated. The story is related to one of Krishna’s many childhood incidents and is also mentioned in the Bhagavatha Purana. The story states that the people of Gokul worshipped Govardhan Parvat for providing necessary supplements and green cover to them. But, some of the cow herders around Govardhan Parvat worshipped Indra, the God of rain and storm. Lord Krishna asked people to worship the mountain which provides them food as well as for their pets. People started following him and started praying Govardhan and when Lord Indra saw this act, he got very angry and as a result, he started raining and this was continued up to 7 days.

In between, Lord Krishna raised the Govardhan parvat on his finger and gave shelter to the people. As a result, Indra understood his fault and came on earth and asked Lord Krishna to forgive him. After 7 days when Krishna dropped the Govardhan parvat on the earth, people wished to celebrate this occasion. From that day, people celebrate this day as Annakut, also because their food-giving mountain was saved. It symbolizes the importance of nature in our lives.

Vishwakarma day is also celebrated a day after Diwali, the same day as Govardhan Puja. Vishwakarma is a Hindu God who is believed to be the one behind constructing the holy city of Dwarka where Lord Krishna ruled. The God is also known to be the creator of many weapons for the Gods.

The Govardhan Puja festival denotes the deep faith that the devotees have in their God. They believe to the core that their God is always more than eager to help if called for. They express their love and devotion to their beloved God by offering food and by worshipping.

Diwali 2023 – What is the significance

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“Diwali” is one of the most popular and auspicious festival of Hindus. This year Diwali will be celebrated on November 12, 2023. According to the Hindu calendar ‘Panchangs’, it falls on the new moon day (Amavasya) of Karthik month. Diwali is derived from the Sanskrit word “Deepawali”, which means a series of lamps (deep means earthen lamps and awali means a series or a queue).

The preparation for Diwali starts many days before the festival. People usually start by cleaning the house, shops, and workplaces. People get the renovation and painting of walls done before the festival. Devotees decorate their houses and workplaces with lights, candles, diyas, garlands, etc. because there is an old belief that goddess Lakshmi visits the house at night to bless the devotees. On this day, people buy sweets, flowers, diyas, and crackers. People buy new clothes, bed sheets, curtains for this festival of light.

Generally, the festival of Diwali is celebrated over five days starting from Dhanteras and ending on Bhai Dooj. The Dhanteras is on 10 November 2023. Naraka Chaturdashi is on 11 November 2023 which is also known as Choti Diwali. Diwali or Maha Deepawali is on 12 November 2023 and the Muhurat or auspicious time for conducting Lakshmi Puja is from 06:11 pm to 08:15 pm. Govardhan Puja is on 13 November 2023 which is celebrated to honor Lord Krishna’s saving of the city by lifting up the Goverdhan Mountain and the Bhai Dooj is on 14 November 2023 which is celebrated to honor the sibling bond between brothers and sisters. Bhai Dooj is celebrated with a ritual in which sisters feed their brothers with their hands and brothers give gifts to the sisters.

The businessmen, merchants, and traders close their old Account books and start with a new account book. People worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha on the day of Diwali. Lord Ganesha is worshipped for wisdom and intelligence while goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for wealth and prosperity. 

Diwali is celebrated in honour of the glorious return of Lord Rama with Sita and Laxmana to Ayodhya after 14 years in exile. In his 14 years of exile, Lord Rama defeated the Lanka king Ravana. The people of Ayodhya welcomed Lord Rama and celebrated his victory by lighting diyas all over the city. Since then, Diwali is celebrated to announce the victory of good over evil. Diwali is not just a festival to celebrate but also symbolizes the sharing of happiness with everyone. Diwali also teaches us the moral of life that truth always wins. So, we must speak the truth and embrace the goods of speaking truth.

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Dhanteras 2023

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Dhanteras is a Hindu festival that marks the first day of the Diwali festival. This festival is believed to bring prosperity and health to the lives of people and hence it is celebrated with great enthusiasm. According to the Hindu calendar, it is celebrated in the month of Kartik. It is celebrated on the thirteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight, also known as Kartik Amavasya. On the next day of Dhanteras, Choti Diwali is celebrated and then on the third day, Diwali is celebrated.

People start their day by cleaning the house and get rid of any unnecessary articles. People decorate their houses with colored lights and other decorative items. Many people also give their house a new paint. On Dhanteras light lamps ( sky lantern) are released in the sky and are placed at the house’s entrance as a good omen and to wade off evil and misfortune. The importance of Dhanteras mainly lies in its auspiciousness for making new purchases. It is believed that any shopping on Dhanteras is considered a symbol of prosperity and wealth. It is celebrated with pomp across India. Buying gold, silver jewellery or steel utensils on Dhanteras is considered auspicious. It is believed that the expenditure made on Dhanteras has multiple returns throughout the year. It is also an auspicious time to start new business ventures and make new investments. Actually, people wait for Dhanteras to take delivery of their bike or car.

The festival has religious significance as the rituals performed are related to Hindu goddesses and mythology. Lord Kubera, the ‘treasurer of the gods’ and ‘king of Yaksha’ represents wealth, prosperity and glory. It is said that those who worship Lord Kubera on Dhanteras and Diwali are blessed with wealth and prosperity. It also gives importance to the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity. The rituals are performed mostly in the evening at the house. Some people also traditionally worship Dhanvantari, the Hindu god of medicine and health. It is believed that he welcomes the family in good health and wellbeing.

In the state of Maharashtra, Dhanteras is celebrated as Vasubaras. Cow and calf are worshiped in the festival. The cow is highly revered in Hindu mythology and is considered equivalent to the mother. The entrance of the house is decorated with Rangoli to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. Oil lamps are also light at the entrance to welcome Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Dhanvantari. On the whole, Dhanteras is the beginning of Diwali and an auspicious day when people invoke the blessings of the divine deities for wealth and prosperity.