Kojagiri poornima
Encyclopedia
The Sharad Purnima or Kojaagari Purnima or Kumar Purnima is a harvest festival
celebrated on the full moon
day of the Hindu
lunar month
of Ashvin
(September-October). The rainy season is over and the brightness of the full moon brings special joy. This is a traditional celebration of the moon and is also called the Kaumudi
celebration, Kaumudi meaning moonlight.
At night, goddess Lakshmi
is worshiped and night vigil is observed. According to a folk-tale, once a king fell on evil days, and was in great financial straits, but then his queen observed this fast and night vigil, and worshiped the goddess of wealth, Laxmi. Consequently, they were blessed by the goddess and they regained their prosperity.
from solid food and take only fluids like coconut water or milk. Milk is boiled until it thickens, and milk masala (called kheer
, a readymade combination of dry fruits) is added to it and drunk. There is also a tradition to have cool milk and rice flakes on this night. It is a harvest festival and is celebrated throughout the country, particularly by Maharashtrians i.e. by people residing in Maharashtra
, India
. The eldest child of the family is also honored on this day.
In the western state of Gujarat, the night is known as Sharad Poonam. In Gujarat people celebrate it by doing Garba and Raas.
The Bengali
people call it Lokkhi Pujo and arrange several bhog and upachar for mother goddess Lakshmi
.
In the Mithila
region ,the puja is known by the name of Kojagaraha. It is celebrated in all Maithil households. All the household gods are cleaned and put out in the "AANGAN". Prior to the putting out of idols, the "aangan" is cleaned and decorated with rice flour paste "ARIPAN" OR "ALPANA".They are prayed to and an offering of "PAAN,MAKHAAN,BATASHA" and "KHEER OR PAYAS" is made.They are kept out there overnight so that they are bathed in the pious "Sharad Purnima" moonlight also known as "Amrit Barkha".
It is generally a big celebration for the newly wed couple too.The new bride decorates the house with a rice paste and makes "ALPANA" OR "ARIPAN". The bride,groom and the brother-in-laws play games the whole night. Paan,Makhaan and Sweets are distributed.A big basket having "DHAAN-Rice", "DOOB" grass, Makhaan, "PAAN", coconut, banana, whole nuts, yagyopavit/janeu threads, cloves, cardamom, silver pennies or fishes or turtles made up of silver, yogurt, sweets and Mithila Paintings arrives from the brides home. New clothes are also sent to the in-laws.
In some regions of the Mithila area,Goddess Kali is also prayed.The Kali puja begins on this day and continues for a fortnight and ends on the night of Diwali with Nisha Puja.
Currently, this full moon comes during Sharad
ritu (season ) of the year and hence it is called Sharad Pornima or Sharad Poonam. (Purnima or Poonam = full moon).
There is an Ayurvedic reason behind consuming rice flakes with cool milk on this night. Sharad ritu (season) consists of two months of overlapping seasons when the summer is about to end and the winter slowly starts. During Sharad the days are warm and nights start to become cooler. This is perfect season for Pitta prakop when pitta vitiates along with other two dosha
s. Consuming rice flakes with milk during night time is good remedy to pacify pitta.Also known as 'Kojaagari Punam,' the festival is celebrated on Aso sud 15 - Purnima. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth moves around in the night sky, asking `Ko jaagarti' searching for people below who are awake. In Sanskrit, `Ko jaagarti' means, ' Who is awake?' And to those who are awake she gifts wealth.
Origin
1. The Sanatkumar Samhita cites the story of 'Kojaagari Punam.' In the Samhita Vaalkhil rishi narrates that in ancient times, a poor Brahmin named Valit lived in Magadhdesh - Bengal. While he was a learned and virtuous man, his wife revelled in quarelling, behaving totally opposite to his wishes. Once on his father's `Shraddh' - day of paying homage to the deceased- she flung the 'pind' - ball of wheatflour - in a sewage pit, rather than the sacred Ganga, as custom required. This infuriated Valit. Therefore he renounced home to search for wealth. In the forests, he met 'Naagkanyas' - girls of Kaliya Naag's ancestry. These Naagkanyas had performed the 'Kojaagari Vrat' - staying awake on Aso sud Punam. They then sat gambling with Valit. The night happened to be Aso sud Punam. Valit lost everything. At that moment, Lord Vishnu and consort Lakshmi, happened to pass by. Since Valit had incidentally observed the 'Kojaagari vrat', Lakshmi graced him handsomeness similar to that of 'Kamdeva' - the deity of love. Now attracted to him, the Naagkanyas married Valit and gifted him their riches. He then returned home with the riches, whence his wife received him warmly. After this episode, the Samhita declared that those who remain awake on this Punam will be graced with wealth.
2. On this night, Lord Krishna invited his faithful devotees, the Gopis of Vrundavan, to play the Maha Raas (traditional folk-dance) with him. They had earned his grace by overlooking society's disdain on them (`loklaaj'), to offer him unalloyed devotion.
When they left their homes in Vraj and arrived in Vrundavan, Shri Krishna welcomed them. Yet to further test their love for him, he averred: 'Women of character such as you, should not leave home to meet another man in the middle of the night!'
These words seared the Gopis' hearts. In extreme grief, they uttered:
'Our feet will not budge the slightest from your lotus-feet. So how can we return to Vraj?'
Pleased with such immutable love for him, Shri Krishna initiated the Maha Raas, by assuming as many forms as there were Gopis. At this point, they beamed with pride that, 'Nobody's devotion can excel ours, by which the Lord favored us.' Instead of accepting the Maha Raas as the Lord's grace, ego marred their devotion. Therefore he instantly vanished from the Raas mandal!
Now filled with remorse, the Gopis repented. Recalling Shri Krishna's divine episodes - 'lila', they lamented their pangs of separation, and sang kirtans known as 'viraha geet':
'Jayati te-dhikam janmanaa vrajaha ….. (Shrimad Bhagvat 10/31/1)
Describing the 'lila' in the Bhagvat (10/30/25), Shukdevji narrates to king Parikshit:
'O Parikshit! Of all nights, that night of Sharad Punam became the most resplendent. With the Gopis, Shri Krishna roamed the banks of the Yamuna, as if imprisoning everyone in his lila!'
3 Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami, the choicest devotee of Bhagwan Swaminarayan was born on Sharad Punam, Samvat 1841. He granted 'wealth' by blessing spiritually 'awake' devotees with God-realization.
Sentiments
The spiritual import of 'Jaagrati' (awake) is to remain vigilant. In Vachanamrut Gadhada III-9, Bhagwan Swaminarayan elaborates on this vigilance. He says that the vigilance in one's heart is the gateway to the Lord's divine abode. Devotees should not let mundane desires, of wealth, lust and so forth, enter their hearts. When faced with obstacles such as: success and failure, happiness and misery, honor and insult, the devotees should remain unflinching in their devotion to God. In this manner, they should remain vigilant at the gateway to God, not letting any mundane objects through.
Therefore, every moment in our lives requires vigilance and this in itself becomes a subtle form of 'tapas' - austerity. Those who performed severe austerities without vigilance, succumbed to Maya. Vishwamitra performed austerities for 60,000 years, but lost 'Jaagruti' - vigilance - in Menka's company. Similarly, lack of vigilance toppled Saubhari rishi, Ekalshrungi, Parashar and others.
Symbolic Import
Just as the night sky of Sharad Punam is clear and suffused with lunar resplendence, the aspirant should similarly endeavor to purify his 'antahkaran.'
For this he has to eradicate body-consciousness and mundane desires and imbibe Brahma-consciousness, in order to incessantly experience Parabrahma. (Gita 18/54, Shikshapatri 116). For this the aspirant needs to seek the Gunatit Sadhu, who is the gateway to moksha (the Lord), as proclaimed in the Bhagvat (3/29/20):
Prasangamajaram paashamaatmanaha kavayo viduhu,
Sa eva sadhushu kruto mokshadwaaram apaavrutam.
i.e. the sages decree that if a jiva who is deeply attached to his body and bodily relatives, similarly attaches himself to the Gunatit Sadhu, the doors of moksha will be opened for him.
,an eastern state of India. Kumar Purnima is the full-moon day in the month of Ashvin
in October. This autumn festival is one of the most popular and important festivals of Orissa
. 'Kumar' or Kartikeya, the handsome son of Shiva
was born on this day. He also became the 'God of war'. As young girls always wish for a handsome husband, they propitiate Kumar who was most handsome among the Gods. But, peculiarly enough there is no ritual for the God, instead the sun and the moon are worshiped.
This day is also observed as the birthday of Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth. Therefore, many people worship the Goddess at their homes and keep themselves awake by playing Pasha
(Chess
) esp in parts of Southern Orissa, and other indoor games. Significantly it suggests that those who wish to acquire wealth should always be vigilant at night. It is for this reason the owl, a bird that sleeps in the day and comes out only at night.Goddess Lakshmi
is worshiped by devotees in different pendals and household in and across the state of Orissa,esp in Kendrapara
& Dhenkanal
. The pendals are decorated with beautiful decoratives.
Harvest festival
A Harvest Festival is an annual celebration which occurs around the time of the main harvest of a given region. Given the differences in climate and crops around the world, harvest festivals can be found at various times throughout the world...
celebrated on the full moon
Full moon
Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...
day of the Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
lunar month
Lunar month
In lunar calendars, a lunar month is the time between two identical syzygies . There are many variations. In Middle-Eastern and European traditions, the month starts when the young crescent moon becomes first visible at evening after conjunction with the Sun one or two days before that evening...
of Ashvin
Ashvin
Ashvin , also known as Aswayuja, is the seventh month of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, the Tamil solar calendar where it is known as Aipassi and the solar India's national civil calendar. It is the sixth month of the solar Bengali calendar. It falls in the season of Shôrot, or Autumn...
(September-October). The rainy season is over and the brightness of the full moon brings special joy. This is a traditional celebration of the moon and is also called the Kaumudi
Kaumudi
Kaumudi may refer to:*the Vijñānakaumudī by Ananda Bhatta*the Siddhāntakaumudī by Bhaṭṭoji Dīkṣita*the Sambad Kaumudi newspaper*the Kerala Kaumudi newspaper...
celebration, Kaumudi meaning moonlight.
At night, goddess Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
is worshiped and night vigil is observed. According to a folk-tale, once a king fell on evil days, and was in great financial straits, but then his queen observed this fast and night vigil, and worshiped the goddess of wealth, Laxmi. Consequently, they were blessed by the goddess and they regained their prosperity.
Maharashtra,Bengal,Mithilanchal
Some people believe that on this night Laxmi goes around from place to place asking, "Who is awake?" ("Kojagarti?") and shows her pleasure on those she finds awake. Hence, the night is spent in festivity and various games of amusement, in honour of the goddess. So people sit in the moonlight singing songs, or keep themselves entertained in some other way. They fastFasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
from solid food and take only fluids like coconut water or milk. Milk is boiled until it thickens, and milk masala (called kheer
Kheer
Kheer also known as Payasam or Payesh is a rice pudding, which is a traditional South Asian sweet dish...
, a readymade combination of dry fruits) is added to it and drunk. There is also a tradition to have cool milk and rice flakes on this night. It is a harvest festival and is celebrated throughout the country, particularly by Maharashtrians i.e. by people residing in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The eldest child of the family is also honored on this day.
In the western state of Gujarat, the night is known as Sharad Poonam. In Gujarat people celebrate it by doing Garba and Raas.
The Bengali
Bengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
people call it Lokkhi Pujo and arrange several bhog and upachar for mother goddess Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
.
In the Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
region ,the puja is known by the name of Kojagaraha. It is celebrated in all Maithil households. All the household gods are cleaned and put out in the "AANGAN". Prior to the putting out of idols, the "aangan" is cleaned and decorated with rice flour paste "ARIPAN" OR "ALPANA".They are prayed to and an offering of "PAAN,MAKHAAN,BATASHA" and "KHEER OR PAYAS" is made.They are kept out there overnight so that they are bathed in the pious "Sharad Purnima" moonlight also known as "Amrit Barkha".
It is generally a big celebration for the newly wed couple too.The new bride decorates the house with a rice paste and makes "ALPANA" OR "ARIPAN". The bride,groom and the brother-in-laws play games the whole night. Paan,Makhaan and Sweets are distributed.A big basket having "DHAAN-Rice", "DOOB" grass, Makhaan, "PAAN", coconut, banana, whole nuts, yagyopavit/janeu threads, cloves, cardamom, silver pennies or fishes or turtles made up of silver, yogurt, sweets and Mithila Paintings arrives from the brides home. New clothes are also sent to the in-laws.
In some regions of the Mithila area,Goddess Kali is also prayed.The Kali puja begins on this day and continues for a fortnight and ends on the night of Diwali with Nisha Puja.
Currently, this full moon comes during Sharad
Sharad
Sharad in North India, variantly referred to as Sharat or Sharath or Sarath in South India, is the early autumn ritu, or season in the Hindu calendar. It roughly corresponds to the western months of mid-September to mid-November. Sharad is preceded by Varsha, followed by Hemant...
ritu (season ) of the year and hence it is called Sharad Pornima or Sharad Poonam. (Purnima or Poonam = full moon).
There is an Ayurvedic reason behind consuming rice flakes with cool milk on this night. Sharad ritu (season) consists of two months of overlapping seasons when the summer is about to end and the winter slowly starts. During Sharad the days are warm and nights start to become cooler. This is perfect season for Pitta prakop when pitta vitiates along with other two dosha
Dosha
A dosha is one of three bodily humors that make up one's constitution according to Ayurveda. These teachings are also known as the Tridosha system....
s. Consuming rice flakes with milk during night time is good remedy to pacify pitta.Also known as 'Kojaagari Punam,' the festival is celebrated on Aso sud 15 - Purnima. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth moves around in the night sky, asking `Ko jaagarti' searching for people below who are awake. In Sanskrit, `Ko jaagarti' means, ' Who is awake?' And to those who are awake she gifts wealth.
Origin
1. The Sanatkumar Samhita cites the story of 'Kojaagari Punam.' In the Samhita Vaalkhil rishi narrates that in ancient times, a poor Brahmin named Valit lived in Magadhdesh - Bengal. While he was a learned and virtuous man, his wife revelled in quarelling, behaving totally opposite to his wishes. Once on his father's `Shraddh' - day of paying homage to the deceased- she flung the 'pind' - ball of wheatflour - in a sewage pit, rather than the sacred Ganga, as custom required. This infuriated Valit. Therefore he renounced home to search for wealth. In the forests, he met 'Naagkanyas' - girls of Kaliya Naag's ancestry. These Naagkanyas had performed the 'Kojaagari Vrat' - staying awake on Aso sud Punam. They then sat gambling with Valit. The night happened to be Aso sud Punam. Valit lost everything. At that moment, Lord Vishnu and consort Lakshmi, happened to pass by. Since Valit had incidentally observed the 'Kojaagari vrat', Lakshmi graced him handsomeness similar to that of 'Kamdeva' - the deity of love. Now attracted to him, the Naagkanyas married Valit and gifted him their riches. He then returned home with the riches, whence his wife received him warmly. After this episode, the Samhita declared that those who remain awake on this Punam will be graced with wealth.
2. On this night, Lord Krishna invited his faithful devotees, the Gopis of Vrundavan, to play the Maha Raas (traditional folk-dance) with him. They had earned his grace by overlooking society's disdain on them (`loklaaj'), to offer him unalloyed devotion.
When they left their homes in Vraj and arrived in Vrundavan, Shri Krishna welcomed them. Yet to further test their love for him, he averred: 'Women of character such as you, should not leave home to meet another man in the middle of the night!'
These words seared the Gopis' hearts. In extreme grief, they uttered:
'Our feet will not budge the slightest from your lotus-feet. So how can we return to Vraj?'
Pleased with such immutable love for him, Shri Krishna initiated the Maha Raas, by assuming as many forms as there were Gopis. At this point, they beamed with pride that, 'Nobody's devotion can excel ours, by which the Lord favored us.' Instead of accepting the Maha Raas as the Lord's grace, ego marred their devotion. Therefore he instantly vanished from the Raas mandal!
Now filled with remorse, the Gopis repented. Recalling Shri Krishna's divine episodes - 'lila', they lamented their pangs of separation, and sang kirtans known as 'viraha geet':
'Jayati te-dhikam janmanaa vrajaha ….. (Shrimad Bhagvat 10/31/1)
Describing the 'lila' in the Bhagvat (10/30/25), Shukdevji narrates to king Parikshit:
'O Parikshit! Of all nights, that night of Sharad Punam became the most resplendent. With the Gopis, Shri Krishna roamed the banks of the Yamuna, as if imprisoning everyone in his lila!'
3 Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami, the choicest devotee of Bhagwan Swaminarayan was born on Sharad Punam, Samvat 1841. He granted 'wealth' by blessing spiritually 'awake' devotees with God-realization.
Sentiments
The spiritual import of 'Jaagrati' (awake) is to remain vigilant. In Vachanamrut Gadhada III-9, Bhagwan Swaminarayan elaborates on this vigilance. He says that the vigilance in one's heart is the gateway to the Lord's divine abode. Devotees should not let mundane desires, of wealth, lust and so forth, enter their hearts. When faced with obstacles such as: success and failure, happiness and misery, honor and insult, the devotees should remain unflinching in their devotion to God. In this manner, they should remain vigilant at the gateway to God, not letting any mundane objects through.
Therefore, every moment in our lives requires vigilance and this in itself becomes a subtle form of 'tapas' - austerity. Those who performed severe austerities without vigilance, succumbed to Maya. Vishwamitra performed austerities for 60,000 years, but lost 'Jaagruti' - vigilance - in Menka's company. Similarly, lack of vigilance toppled Saubhari rishi, Ekalshrungi, Parashar and others.
Symbolic Import
Just as the night sky of Sharad Punam is clear and suffused with lunar resplendence, the aspirant should similarly endeavor to purify his 'antahkaran.'
For this he has to eradicate body-consciousness and mundane desires and imbibe Brahma-consciousness, in order to incessantly experience Parabrahma. (Gita 18/54, Shikshapatri 116). For this the aspirant needs to seek the Gunatit Sadhu, who is the gateway to moksha (the Lord), as proclaimed in the Bhagvat (3/29/20):
Prasangamajaram paashamaatmanaha kavayo viduhu,
Sa eva sadhushu kruto mokshadwaaram apaavrutam.
i.e. the sages decree that if a jiva who is deeply attached to his body and bodily relatives, similarly attaches himself to the Gunatit Sadhu, the doors of moksha will be opened for him.
Time For The Festivity
Sharad Purnima is known as Kumar Purnima or Lakshmi Puja in OrissaOrissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
,an eastern state of India. Kumar Purnima is the full-moon day in the month of Ashvin
Ashvin
Ashvin , also known as Aswayuja, is the seventh month of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, the Tamil solar calendar where it is known as Aipassi and the solar India's national civil calendar. It is the sixth month of the solar Bengali calendar. It falls in the season of Shôrot, or Autumn...
in October. This autumn festival is one of the most popular and important festivals of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. 'Kumar' or Kartikeya, the handsome son of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
was born on this day. He also became the 'God of war'. As young girls always wish for a handsome husband, they propitiate Kumar who was most handsome among the Gods. But, peculiarly enough there is no ritual for the God, instead the sun and the moon are worshiped.
Main Ritual
In the early morning the girls after their purificatory bath wear new garments and make food-offerings to the sun. They observe fasting for the day. In the evening when the moon rises they again make food offerings of a special variety and take it after the rituals are over. It is a festival of rejoicing for the girls. All of them sing and dance. The songs are of special nature. They also play a kind of game known as Puchi. They also indulge in other varieties of country-games.The Gajalaxmi Puja
Pasha
Pasha or pascha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries. As an honorary title, Pasha, in one of its various ranks, is equivalent to the British title of Lord, and was also one of the highest titles in...
(Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
) esp in parts of Southern Orissa, and other indoor games. Significantly it suggests that those who wish to acquire wealth should always be vigilant at night. It is for this reason the owl, a bird that sleeps in the day and comes out only at night.Goddess Lakshmi
Lakshmi
Lakshmi or Lakumi is the Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity , light, wisdom, fortune, fertility, generosity and courage; and the embodiment of beauty, grace and charm. Representations of Lakshmi are also found in Jain monuments...
is worshiped by devotees in different pendals and household in and across the state of Orissa,esp in Kendrapara
Kendrapara
Kendrapara is a city and a municipality in Kendrapara district in the Indian state of Orissa. It is the headquarters of Kendrapara district.-Geography:Kendrapara is located at . It has an average elevation of...
& Dhenkanal
Dhenkanal District
Dhenkanal District is an administrative division of Orissa, India. It is bordered by Kendujhar in the north, Jajpur in the east, Cuttack in the south and Anugul in the west. Dhenkanal town, the district headquarters has a cluster of temples, archaeological remains and a mediaeval fort. A former...
. The pendals are decorated with beautiful decoratives.