Today, 15th October 2016, Sunday is been observed as the propitious day of Sharad Purnima. It is a festival celebrated on a full moon day of the Hindu month ‘Ashvin’. This ‘Purnima’ ie. ‘full moon night’, is a combination of 16 kalas which creates a human being with perfect qualities in it. It is known that Lord Krishna was born on this Purnima and had all 16 kalas within him.
The devotees worship goddess Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity and the moon, the symbol of peace and prosperity. According to the legends, at this full moon night, goddess Lakshmi flies to Earth and observes the people as they wait for welcoming her. She does not visit the houses where people have slept without welcoming her. In order to please the goddess people observe rigorous fast and prepare rice pudding to welcome her. In return, the goddess blesses them with prosperity and happiness.
It is also believed to rain holy elixir at the night of sharad purnima and therefore puddings, ghee, dry fruits and spices are kept in the moonlight so that the elixir also falls on them and purifies them. Legends say that the enchanting kasturi (musk) is formed on this night if the elixir falls on the musk deer’s navel; the rare elephant pearl ‘gaja mukta’ is formed if the elixir falls on the elephant’s head; the rare gemstone naag mani (cobra pearl) is formed if the elixir falls on the king cobra and produces a real pearl if falls on a clam.
The mighty Taj mahal is also not exempted by the auspicious day of Sharad Purnima. On this day, it remains open all night for the people to witness the beauty of this full moon night. As the moonlight falls on the white marble of Taj’s four towers and the main tomb, the whole monument seems to reflect sparkling moonlight rays. However, due to the tight security and heavy fare on the day, only a few people are able to witness this miracle.
