Chaitra Purnima

About Chaitra Purnima

As the name suggests, the holy day of Chaitra Purnima falls on the full moon day in the Chaitra month as per the Hindu calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar, the day falls in the month of March or April. On the day of Chaitra Purnima, people also celebrate Hanuman Jayanti.

What are the Rituals of Chaitra Purnima?

• The first and the most significant ritual to be performed on the day of Chaitra Purnima is to wake up early and observe the holy bath in a sacred river before sunrise.
• After observing the holy dip, the devotees are required to worship and offer prayers to Lord Vishnu and Lord Hanuman.
• Devotees worship Lord Vishnu and keep a ‘Satyanarayana’ fast. They are required to recite the ‘Satyanarayana Katha’ and make sacred food which is offered to the deity. Satyanarayana Puja is also performed where fruits, supari, banana leaves, moli, incense sticks, and sandalwood paste is offered to Lord Vishnu and special arrangements are done in various temples.
• The religious practice of offering ‘Arghya’ to Moon God is performed as a part of the ritual in the evening.
• Reading sessions for Bhagwad Gita and Ramayana is considered a significant ritual to perform on this day.
• People also perform several donations and charity work on this particular day of Chaitra Purnima where food, clothes, money and other essential things are provided to the needy people as a significant part of ‘Anna Daan’.

Next Purnima: Significance Buddha Purnima

What is the Significance of Chaitra Purnima?

As per the Hindu calendar, Chaitra Purnima is regarded as the first Purnima after the start of the Hindu New Year. On this particular day, at various places, people also observe Hanuman Jayanti, which is the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman. As per the Hindu beliefs, the people who keep a fast of Chaitra Purnima and worship Lord Vishnu and God Moon on this day are bestowed with the divine blessings of the deity. By doing charities and making donations on this day, one gets relieved from all his present and past sins. It is believed that, on the day of Chaitra Purnima, performing a bath in the holy river is considered as highly auspicious. It is believed that on this day all the desires of the devotees who offer prayers with devotion are fulfilled.

Also See: The significance of Hanuman Puja on Narak Chaturdashi

What is the Chaitra Purnima Vrat Vidhi?

• On this day, people take an early morning holy bath on the banks of sacred rivers
• After this, they observe a Chaitra Purnima Vrat by abstaining themselves from eating food and drinking water.
• Then they perform Vishnu Puja either in temples or at their homes.
• Once the Vishnu Puja is completed, devotees recite Satyanarayan Katha.
• They chant ‘Gayatri Mantra’ or the ‘Om Namo Narayana’ mantra for 108 times in a row.
• The individuals then offer food and clothes to the needy.

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