Sharad Purnima is the day when Hindu devotees worship Lord Chandra or the moon god to seek health and happiness. It is believed that the Lord showers his devotees with wealth as well. It is the most significant Purnima out of all the purnimas celebrated throughout the year.
It is said that on Sharad Purnima, the moon shines with 16 kalas. It is considered to be the only day of the year when the moon opens all of its kalas. Hinduism believes that kala is a part of the human personality. More number of kalas in a human indicates that the person will have more qualities. If a person has 16 kalas, that creates a perfect person. Only Lord Krishna — the Hindu God — is considered to have all the 16 kalas.
Sharad Purnima 2020: Date and Time
The festival is on October 30 this year. The moon rise on Sharad Purnima will be at 4:29 pm. Its tithi will begin on October 30 at 5:45 pm and will end on October 31 at 8:81 pm.
Sharad Purnima 2020: Significance
It is the faith of Hindu devotees that the moon has healing properties on Sharad Purnima, giving out nectar. To consume these healing moon rays, devotees usually prepare a sweet dish, like rice kheer. The dish is prepared and left in the moonlight all night long. In the morning, it is consumed by all the members of the family, considering that it now contains all the healing properties and goodness from the moon.
The festival is called by other names in different parts of the country. It is called Kojagari Purnima in many regions and a fast called Kaumudi Vrat is observed on the day.
In the Brij region of India, considered to be the place of Lord Krishna — it is celebrated as Raas Purnima. The spiritual belief is that Lord Krishna performed Maha-Raas on the day of Sharad Purnima and on its night, all the gopis of Brij region came to dance with him. He is believed to have created Krishnas for all the gopis.