Kartik Purnima, a revered festival in Hindu and Jain traditions, holds deep cultural significance and is celebrated on the 15th lunar day in the month of Kartik. Revered across India, this festival carries diverse legends and rituals that reflect spiritual and mythological richness.
Date and Shubh Muhurat:
This year, Kartik Purnima falls on November 27, a Monday. According to the Drik Panchang, the auspicious Purnima tithi begins at 03:53 pm on November 26, 2023, and concludes at 02:45 pm on November 27, 2023.
Devotees mark this day by donating lamps, reciting Vedic mantras, singing bhajans, and illuminating their surroundings, symbolizing the triumph of goodness. In various regions, special rituals occur, like lighting lamps reminiscent of Diwali, emphasizing the virtue of light.
Importance and Significance:
Kartik Purnima is steeped in mythology. One legend associates it with Tripurasura's defeat by Tripurari, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. It symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Additionally, it's believed to be Matsya Avatar's day (the fish-incarnation of Lord Vishnu), the birth date of Vrinda (personification of Tulsi), and the birth of Kartikeya, Lord Shiva's son. For devotees of Radha and Krishna, it commemorates the divine dance of the gods.
The festivities extend beyond the Purnima day, starting with Prabodhini Ekadashi and lasting five days. Celebrations vary across regions, such as the Karthikai Deepam festival in Tamil Nadu and the Karthika Maasalu in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, featuring the lighting of oil lamps in Lord Shiva temples with 365 wicks on Karthika Puranam, the full moon day.
