Kartik Purnima is a holy festival of Hindus and Jains. It is also known as Tripuri Purnima and Tripurari Purnima, the day is widely observed in different parts of India. This year the festival will be observed on November 12.
The day is celebrated on the fifteenth lunar day in the month of Kartik, Kartik Purnima has a long and rich history as it is commonly believed that the day borrows its name from Tripurari, an enemy of the ogre Tripurasura.
Tripurari is another form of God Shiva and the story goes that on Kartik Purnima, Shiva had killed Tripurasura.
Kartik Purnima Significance
Kartik Purnima has other references as well. It is the day of Matsya, or the fish-incarnation of Lord Vishnu and is also the birth date of Vrinda, the personification of Tulsi. Son of Shiva and god of war Kartikeya was also born on this day. The devotees of Radha and Krishna believe that on Kartik Purnima, the gods had danced rasa.
Donating lamps is believed to be very rewarding on Kartik Purnima. Reciting Vedic mantras and bhajans is also considered very auspicious on this day.
Kartik Purnima timings
Sunrise November 12, 2019: 06:42 am.
Sunset November 12, 2019: 05:39 pm.
Purnima Tithi Begins on November 11, 2019: 06:01 pm.
Purnima Tithi Ends November 12, 2019: 07:04 pm.
Kartik Purnima celebration
The festival is closely linked with Prabodhini Ekadashi. Several fairs that begin on Prabodhini Ekadashi conclude on this day. Many devotees of Vishnu observe ‘kartik snana’, a holy dip in the Ganges which is usually deemed as the most auspicious. In several temples, offerings are made to the deities. This act is known as Annakuta and abstinence of different activities like shaving, cutting of trees.
