Kojagari pournima

Kojagari Pournima is considered an important day in Indian Hindu culture that falls on the full moon of Ashwin . According to the English calendar, 'Kojagari Pournima' usually falls between September and October. Since 'Kojagari Pournima' is a bright night, the rays of the moon fall on the milk on this night, so the milk that is consumed becomes medicinal and useful for our body. This day has special importance in agricultural culture. This full moon is also called 'Manikethari.

According to Hindu belief, on this full moon day, Goddess Lakshmi descends from the moon to the earth. And at midnight ( in Sanskrit ), she is believed to roam the earth, observing the efforts of humans, saying, "Ko Jagarti". It is believed that the goddess asks who is awake , who is alert and eager for knowledge . 

Special puja at the Devi temple on the occasion of Kojagiri Pournima. The ancient folk festival held on Kojagiri Pournima is called Kaumudijagar by Vatsyayana and Deepdanjagar by Vamana Purana. The description of how this festival was celebrated during the Buddhist period is known from the Unmadayanti Jataka. The Vamana Purana states that Baliraja should be worshipped on this day. 

Lakshmi Puja Verse-                                                                                              Surasurendradikiritmauktikairyuktam sada yattav padpankajam. Paravaram patu varam sumangalam namami bhaktyakhilakamasiddhaye. Bhavani Tvam Mahalakshmi: Sarvakamapradaini Supujita Prasanna Syanmahalakshmi Namostu Te. Namaste Sarvadevana Vardasi Haripriya. This is the case with these dynamics. Om Mahalakshmyai Namah, Prayerful salutations. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped with this verse.

Astronomically significant-                                                                                                                        On this day, the moon is closest to the earth . The full moon that occurs at midnight in the month of Ashwin is called Kojagari Pournima. If the full moon does not occur, the full moon on the next day is considered Kojagari Pournima. The day on which the full moon is complete, Navaanna Pournima is celebrated.

Religious significance-                                                                                                                                  The fast to be observed on this day includes worshipping Lakshmi and Indra sitting on the Airavata at night. All three aspects of fasting, worship and vigil are equally important in this fast. In this fast, the first watch of the night, Lakshmi and Indra, worship the images of Baliraja and then offer floral tributes to both of them. After such worship, poha and coconut water are offered to the gods and ancestors and given to relatives and consumed by themselves. An offering of milk is made to the moon. The next day, in the morning, after worshipping Baliraja and Lakshmi and serving food to everyone, the Parna is performed.

The Brahma Purana describes the rituals of this fast in a slightly different way. The roads should be swept. The houses should be decorated. Fasting should be observed during the day. A fire should be lit near the door of the house and worshipped. The moon should be worshipped and offerings of milk and curd should be made to it. Rudra , Skanda, Nandishwar along with his wife, Surabhi should be worshipped by those who have cows, Varuna by those who have rams , Vinayaka by those who have elephants, and Revanta and Nikumbha by those who have horses.

Kojagari Poornima is celebrated with puja and archa in various temples. Lakshmi is specially worshipped. 

According to mythology, the day of Sharad Purnima is considered the birthday of Goddess Lakshmi , the day she appeared from the churning of the ocean. On the night of Kojagari Purnima, the moon is in all 16 phases. The rays of the moon are endowed with special nectarean qualities. Lord Krishna is considered to be the incarnation of 16 phases. In the Dwapara Yuga , in Vrindavan (Vrajamandal), Lord Krishna performed a nightly rasakreeda (Maharasalila) with the Gopis. It is believed that even today in Nidhivan in Vrindavan, Lord Krishna and the Gopis perform a rasakreeda. Devotees of the Vaishnava sect celebrate Rasotsav in memory of that special occasion. Special worship is given to Lord Krishna and Radha . 

Spiritual content-                                                                                                                                            They celebrate Kojagiri at midnight. They drink milk by boiling it at midnight in the moonlight. Milk boiled in the moonlight is nectar. Whoever wakes up by then will get that nectar, otherwise not. There is a story that at 12 o'clock in the night, the Ashwini Apsara comes and asks, Ko Jagarti? That is, who is awake? And she gives nectar to whoever is awake. This is the story! But what should be the secret behind it? Who is awake? Who is awake? Bhagwant says in the Gita,

This Nisha Sarvabhuta is so alert and restrained. Yasya Jagrati Bhutani Sa Nisha Pashyato 

Everyone is awake for material gain, but the temperate one is asleep for that gain, that is, he is indifferent. But when others are asleep for spiritual attainment, the temperate one is awake. Therefore, who is awake? Who is awake? The one who is a temperate seeker! Only such a seeker attains the nectar. Who is awake and has become a degenerate being! 

Cultural significance- Kojagari Purnima Masala Milk                                                                                On this day, milk is boiled and spices like saffron , pistachios , almonds , cardamom, cardamom pods , nutmeg , sugar , etc. are added to it and offered to Goddess Lakshmi . The milk is allowed to shine the rays of the full moon at midnight and then the milk is drunk. Vigils are kept till midnight. On this day, the eldest child of each family is celebrated by waving his or her 'Ashwini'.

Agriculture related-Navanna Purnima-                                                                                                      This day has special significance in the agricultural culture. This day is celebrated with enthusiasm among the farming community. This custom is seen in rural areas.

It is a tradition in Konkan to celebrate Navanna Purnima as a way of expressing gratitude to nature. On this day, there is a huge crowd in the market to buy rice stalks, kurdu flowers, nachani, vari and marigold flowers.

On this day, new grains arrive in households. The day is celebrated as a day of worship for grains such as rice, rachani, and vari. On this day, it is customary to make rice and kheer made from new rice. Patole made from new rice flour is also made as a side dish, a practice recorded in the book Kal Vivek. Various vegetables planted in front of the house are important on Navann Purnima . There is a procession of new grains and vegetables. All of this is the Lakshmi of the farmers. For this reason, on Navann Purnima , rangolis are drawn in front of the house to welcome Lakshmi. Navi is tied at the main entrance and on important objects in the house. (Nave (plural navi) means a bundle made of rice , rachani, and vari in mango leaves, as well as kurdu and marigold flowers.

New- Hygienic importance                                                                                                                      Medicines for diseases such as asthma are mixed in kheer and kept under the moonlight on the night of Kojagari. When the moon's rays fall on this kheer, its properties change and it is believed that if such kheer is given to a sick person, he will get relief. On this day, prayers are offered to the Vedic deity Ashwini Kumar for good health.

In tribal tribes-                                                                                                                                              Various ethnic groups in India celebrate Kojagari. The Hojagari dance is performed on this night. The deities Myaloma and Kholoma are worshipped on this night. Myaloma is considered the protector of rice fields. This tradition is similar to Lakshmi Puja.

Tourism-                                                                                                                                                      Tourists are given a special opportunity to view the Taj Mahal in Agra during the full moon of Kojagari.  A special fee is charged for this. 

By province-                                                                                                                                              Kojagari Purnima is celebrated in Gujarat as 'Sharad Poonam' with the playing of Raas and Garba . In Mithila, the Kojagarha Puja is performed on this night. On this occasion, there is a special custom of sending gifts from the newly married girl's house to her in-laws' house for her son-in-law.  A fair is held on this occasion in Himachal Pradesh .  Rajasthani women wear white clothes and silver ornaments on this day. Religious Rajputs worship the moon on this night and offer sugared milk to farmers.  In Haryana, milk kheer is made on Ashwin Purnima, kept under moonlight at night, and eaten in the morning.  In Odisha , Sharad Purnima is called ' Kumar Purnima'. Goddess Gajalakshmi is worshipped on this day. The moon and the sun are also worshipped on this day in conjunction with the goddess.

Kojagari Purnima is known as 'Lokhkhi Puja' by Bengalis. In the Lokhkhi Puja on this day, Bengalis use Shahali or fresh coconut. A special sweet dish made with coconut mixed with sugar , milk , ghee and dry fruits is offered to Goddess Lakshmi, who sits on a lotus.  On this day , Bengali Hindus draw the Swastika symbol with their middle finger and wet red vermilion on a copper urn or clay pot and worship Goddess Lakshmi Narayana along with a conch shell and lotus flower.

Sharada Purnima (also known as Kumara Purnima, Kojagari Purnima, Navanna Purnima, Kojagrat Purnima or Kaumudi Purnima) is a religious festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin (September to October), marking the end of the monsoon season. The full moon night is celebrated in different ways in various cultural regions across Indian subcontinent.

On this day, many Hindu divine pairs like Radha Krishna, Shiva Parvati and Lakshmi Narayana are worshipped along with the Chandra, the moon deity, and are offered flowers and kheer. Deities in temples are usually dressed in white color signifying the brightness of moon. Many people observe full day fasting on this night.

Significance-                                                                                                                                      Vallabhacharya temple cloth for Sharad Purnima festival - Western India (19th c. - 1927) Sharad Purnima celebrates the night that the rāsalīlā (a circular dance) was performed between Krishna and the gopis (milkmaids) of Braj. To participate in this divine dance, Shiva took the form of Gopīśvara Mahādevā. Vivid descriptions of this night are given in the Brahma Purana, Skanda Purana, Brahma Vaivarta Purana, and the Linga Purana. It is also believed that, on this full moon night, the goddess Lakshmi descends on the earth to watch the actions of human beings.

Kojagari Purnima concerns the observance of the Kojagara Vrata. The people perform this vrata under the moonlight after fasting for the day. Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity, is significantly worshipped on this day. It is believed that on this day Lakshmi appeared from the Churning of the ocean. Indra, the god of rain, along with his elephant Airavata is also worshipped. This day is celebrated by Hindus differently in various regions of India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Sharad Purnima holds great significance in the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, particularly within BAPS, as it marks the birth of Gunatitanand Swami, who is ontologically believed to be Aksharbrahman.

Celebrations in India- Bengal, Assam, and Tripura                                                                                     In Bengal, Tripura, Assam and Mithila the night is known as Kojagari Purnima. Kojagari translates to 'one who is awake' in Bengali. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi visits people's houses on this night, checks whether they are staying awake, and blesses them only if they are awake.

Kheer is served as an offering on this day.In northern and central states of India, such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, kheer is prepared during the night and kept under the moonlight in an open roofed space overnight. It is believed that on this night, moon rays carry amrita (elixir of immortality), which is collected in the kheer. The kheer is then eaten as a prasad on the next day. Also, goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on this night.

For some Bengali tribes, the day is celebrated a few days before or after the exact day, especially in the Dyao, Brahmo, and Cumulang traditions, as per various traditions determining which days are auspicious for celebration. In Maharashtra, it is popularly known as Kojagiri Paurnima. People make masala milk and keep it outside under the moonlight, as moon rays are believed to carry amrita.

In many parts of Gujarat, Garba is performed under the moonlight. In Mithila region of Bihar, special celebration of Kojagra occurs in the house of newly married groom. Groom's family distribute betel and Makhana gifted from bride family to their relatives & neighbours.

In Odisha, this auspicious day is known as Kumāra punein/Kumāra purnimā, on this day unmarried women fast, with the popular belief of getting their suitable groom (kumara). Unmarried women worship the moon on the occasion of this festival. The puja starts in the early morning when the moon sets with new dress. A kula is filled with rice puffs, sugarcane, betel leaves, betel nuts, cucumbers, coconuts, and seven other fruits such as apples or bananas. In the evening the full moon is worshiped again, and worshippers break their fast by preparing a dish containing the fried paddy and fruits from the kula, along with curd and jaggery and offer it to the moon god before a tulsi plant. After this, maidens play games and sing songs under the light of the full moon.

Celebrations outside India- Nepal                                                                                                               In the Mithila region of Nepal, the day is known as Kojagrat Purnima and it concludes the 15–day Dashain festival celebrations. Kojagrat translates to 'one who is awake' in Nepali. Similar to the traditions of eastern India, Nepalese Hindus wake up all night offering reverence to goddess Lakshmi. The Jagran festival puja takes places around the Janaki Temple dedicated to Mata Sita and the birthplace of her father King Janaka. It is also the last day to receive the Dashain tika from ones relatives.