Sharad Purnima is celebrated on a full moon night.
This festival marks the end of the monsoon season and the beginning of the harvest season.
Sharad Purnima is a festival celebrated in Hinduism on the night of a full moon, in the month of Ashwin. This festival marks the end of the monsoon season and the beginning of the harvest season. According to Tirupati-based astrologer, Dr. Krishna Kumar Bhargava, Sharad Purnima falls on October 28 this year. He said the exact time the festival will start will be at 4:17 in the morning and it will end at 1:53 am. 29 October.
It is believed that Goddess Laxmi comes to earth on this day and visits the houses which are clean and filled with light. Believers and devotees stay awake all night to welcome the Goddess. They engage in activities such as singing devotional songs and playing games.
This night is also known as Raas Purnima, and it means the dance done by Lord Krishna and the gopis (milkmaids) in Vrindavan. This dance is a celebration of devotion, divine love and the unity between divinity and the human soul. The festival is also known as Kojagari Purnima in Bengali, which means “Who is awake?” and in Odisha it is celebrated as the Kumari Purnima. Girls fast on this day to find a suitable groom in the future and also worship the moon. In Gujarat, the night is celebrated by performing the dance called garba, under the moonlight.
The day’s festivities start early in the morning. Women adorn themselves in new dresses. Only liquids such as milk and coconut water are consumed throughout the day. The courtyards are decorated with beautiful rangoli designs, and idols are then brought out and worshiped.
During this festival, kheer is prepared and kept under the open sky. Sages believe that the moonlight this night contains nectar or amrit, and therefore the kheer remains under the sky all night. Then it is given as prasad to the family members. According to beliefs, the moonlight in the prasad contains divinity.
