Apart from worshipping Lord Vishnu and his avatars, this day is also important for the followers of Lord Shiva, because on this day, Mahadev had killed the demon Tripurasura
A priest performs Ganga aarti in Benaras (Pic courtesy: Twitter)
The on-going month of Kartik is entirely dedicated to the supreme God, Lord Vishnu. After Tulsi Vivah Kartik Purnima is another auspicious festival which falls in the Shukla Paksha in the holy month of Kartik. This year, Kartik Purnima will be celebrated on November 8, respectively.
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Also known as Dev Diwali or Dev Deepawali, the festival of lights of the Gods, Kartik Purnima is also the last full moon night of the year. However, the second and the last lunar eclipse, called Chandra Grahan in Hindi, is coinciding with Kartik Purnima this year.
Apart from worshipping Lord Vishnu and his avatars, this day is also important for the followers of Lord Shiva, because on this day, Mahadev had killed the demon Tripurasura. Hence, this day is also celebrated as the Tripurari Purnima. Apart from this, Kartik Purnima holds a greater spiritual and religious significance for many reasons. Let’s try to find out why this festival is so special in Hinduism…
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Significance of Kartik Purnima
Kartik Purnima is closely associated with Devotthan Ekadashi which marks the end of Chaturmas, the period of four months where Lord Vishnu is believed to be in yogic sleep. On Devotthan, which means waking up the God, it is believed that the Preserver, Lord Vishnu wakes up from his slumber and takes charge of his duties.
The Matsya Avatar, Vishnu’s fish incarnation is believed to be born on the eve of Kartik Purnima. Vrinda, the holy Tulsi too was supposedly born on the day of Kartik Purnima. As per the legends, Lord Krishna and Radha performed rasleela along with their Gopis on Kartik Purnima. In popular Radha-Krishna temples across the country, rasleelas are organised. Hence, along with Lord Vishnu, Radha and Krishna are also worshipped by devotees on this day.
In the Southern parts of India, Kartik Purnima is observed as the birthday of the war of God and Lord Shiva’s son, Lord Kartikeya’s birthday. Kartik Purnima also marks the birth anniversary of the supreme Sikh guru, Shri Guru Nanak Dev and is celebrated as Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurupurab by the Sikh community.
Taking a holy dip in the Ganges or at any other significant tirtha (sacred water body), is a popular ritual of Kartik Purnima. The act of bathing at a tirtha is called Kartik Snan. Some people also keep Satyanarayan fast. For Jains, Kartik Purnima is an important religious event where they visit Palitana, a pilgrimage centre in Gujarat. Donating food, clothes, money, etc. to needy people is another important ritual of Kartik Purnima.
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Kartik Purnima Date and Time
This year Kartik Purnima will be celebrated on November 8, 2022. The purnima tithi will begin at 4:15 PM on November 7 and it will end at 4:31 PM on November 8.