Paush Purnima : Significance of shakambari Purnima

Paush Purnima is one of the auspicious and sacred day for Hindus. ‘Paush Purnima’ means full moon and it occurs on the full moon day in the month of ‘Paush’ according to the Hindu Calendar.  According to the Gregorian calendar Paush Purnima should occur around November or December, but according to the Hindu Calendar, Paush Purnima falls in January.

In North India where the Lunar Calendar is used, the month of ‘Magha’ begins the day after Paush Purnima. This is why the month between ‘Pausha Purnima’ and ‘Magh Purnima’ is so auspicious. On the day of Paush Purnima, which falls on 28th January this year, thousands of people including sadhus, pilgrims, and devotees visit sacred ghats on the banks of the river Ganga and Yamuna and go for a holy dip. Devotees and pilgrims undertake this holy dip to cleanse their soul of any sins they might have committed in their life till now and to be freed from the cycle.

There are several religious festivals that occur during the Paush Purnima;

1. Shakambari Jayanthi- Goddess Shakambari who is an Avatar of Goddess Durga is worshipped for 9 days, it is believed that Goddess Shakambari comes to earth to feed hungry with vegetable in the occasion of any natural calamity.
2. Pushyabhishek Yatra on Paush Purnima- this is a ritual that is followed in Orissa’s famous temple- Puri Jagannath Temple. Pushyabhishek yatra is to take place on January 28th. On this day, Lord Jagannath has his ceremonial crowning, and he is made the king of the day. The sea is also worshipped that day.
3. Charta festival- on the day of Paush Purnima, the chatra festival, tribal communities celebrate charta festival, in the Koriyan District of Chhattisgarh. This is a harvest festival and tribal women often prepare a variety of dishes as a part of an organised feast.

Rituals followed on Paush Purnima-

1. The first thing a devotee must do is to wake up early and observe a holy bath in one of the sacred rivers at or during sunrise. An ‘Arghya’ is performed to Surya Dev as a part of this ritual.
2. After the holy bath, devotees are to offer their prayers to Lord Shiva.
3. After this, devotees worship Lord Sathyanarayan and recite ‘Sathyanarayan Katha’ and offer sacred food called ‘Sathyanarayan prasad’ to the deity.
4. This is concluded by performing an Aarti and then distributing the ‘prasad’ among invitees.
5. The reading of ‘Bhagwad Gita’ and ‘Ramayan’ is also undertaken and is considered an important ritual during this day.
6. Across India, in various temple Pushyabhisheka is performed in temples of Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna.
7. People also perform charity work and make donations of clothes, food, money and other essentials to the needy.

 
 

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