Sharad Purnima 2019: All you need to know about the festival marking end of monsoon season

Sharad Purnima is celebrated on the Ashwin month of the Hindu calendar. This festival is celebrated on the full moon night to mark the end of the monsoon season. This year, the Sharad Purnima will be celebrated on Sunday (13 October). The date of this festival varies every year. It is also referred to as Kumara Purnima, Kojagiri Purnima, Navanna Purnima, and Kaumudi Purnima. [caption id=“attachment_7491211” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of the full moon on Sharad Purnima. Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Timing of the Sharad Purnima 2019 The Sharad Purnima this year will begin at 4.06 pm on 12 October and will end at 6.08 pm on 13 October. Significance of  Sharad Purnima According to the popular beliefs, on the day of Sharad Purnima, the moon comes out with all sixteen kala(s). Its rays have certain healing and nourishing properties on this day. As per the beliefs in Hinduism, each human quality is associated with a certain kala, and it is believed that the combination of all the sixteen kala(s) creates a perfect human personality. Lord Krishna, who is considered as the complete incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is believed to have been born with all the sixteen kala(s). As per another common belief, on this day, the moon rays drip nectar, so people prepare rice-kheer and leave it in the moonlight for the whole night, and in the next morning, it is distributed as prasad. According to another set of beliefs, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, was born on this day. It is also believed that on the night of this festival, Goddess Lakshmi wanders in the sky and gives a blessing to her devotees, and on fasting, during this day she removes poverty from the house of the devotee. In the Brij region, the areas around Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura and Vrindaban, Sharad Purnima is also referred to as Raas Purnima. People in this region believe that Lord Krishna danced with the Gopis of Vrindaban on this day. It is called the Maha Raas. Many in the country, especially in West Bengal, people worship Goddess Lakshmi, and refer to this festival as Kojagari Purnima. The devotees pray for the prosperity of their households. In Odisha, Sharad Purnima is referred to as Kumar Purnima. As a part of the celebration, on this day, virgin girls, fast for the whole day, worships Lord Kartikeya for a suitable groom, and open their fast after worshiping the moon in the evening.