Pournami Festivals

POURNAMI FESTIVALS
All Pournima days or full moon day people keep fast but some pournama days are more important.

January–February (Māsi)	Thai Poosam It falls on the pournima in the month of Thai/ makara coinciding with the star Pushya. This festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a Vel or spear so he could vanquish the evil.  The devotees worship Lord Murugan to obtain his grace to destroy all the evil and bad traits in their life.
February – March (Māsi)	Māsi Magam It falls on the pournima in the month of Maasi/ makara coinciding with the star Magam. A major ritual on the day is the bathing of Temple Idols in sea, pond or lake. The devotees who flock the procession take dips in water body to get rid of their sins.
March – April (Panguni)	Panguni Uttharam It falls on the pournima in the month of Pangunii/ Meenam coinciding with the star Uttharam. On this day it is believed that most divine marriages took place on this day. The marriage of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva, Goddess Deivayānai and Lord Murugan, Goddess Sita and Lord Rama was conducted on Panguni Utharam day. As  Deivayānai married Lord Subramanya on this day, it is an important festival for Lord Subramanya devotees. On this day, devotees flock in hundreds to all Murugan temples. It is believed that Goddess Parvati in the form of Gowri married Lord Shiva in Kanchipuram and because of this belief this day is also celebrated as Gowri Kalyanam day. This day is also known as Mahalakshmi Jayanti as on this day Goddess Mahalakshmi incarnated on the Earth during legendry churning of the Milky Ocean. Churning of Milky Ocean is also known as Ksheera Sagara Manthan. This day is also celebrated as Lord Ayyappan Jayanti. Lord Ayyappan was born due to union of Lord Shiva and Mohini, the female form of Lord Vishnu. Panguni Utharam is the power day to remove any afflictions in marital life and bring good luck into your relationship.
April – May (Chithirai)	Chitra Pournami It is observed on the day of the full moon in the month of Chithirai or Chaitra and mostly coinciding with the star chitra. The festival is dedicated to god Chitraguptan, assistant to Lord Yaman. He maintains the record of the good and bad deeds ( physical, mental or verbal)  done by each individual for Lord Yaman (God of death and the custodian of the Dharmam. When one dies his soul goes to Lord Yama and according to the reports of Chitraguptan future punishment at heaven or hell is decided.  Sometimes punishment is carried forward to the next birth. Story of birth of Chitraguptan Once Parameswar the greatest of the Lords and his consort Parameswari  thought about recording the good and bad deeds done by each individual during his life span for award of results.  Goddess  Parvati drew a picture on the golden slate and the picture was given life by Lord Siva.  He was given the name Chitragupta and responsibility of recording the minures of the work done by each individual.   He is the Devata for planet Kethu. Worshipping Chitra Gupta on this day would ward of kedhu dhosha in one's horoscope.  There is only one Chitraguptaswamy temple in South India at Kanchipuram. In the temple the idol of Chitraguptaswamu holds a bunch of palm leaves in the left hand and metallic pen in the right hand.  Maa Karmelikai is the consort of Lord Chitragupta.  On Chitra Pournami  devotees ask Chitragupta to forgive their past sins and many devotees bathe in rivers or other water bodies to symbolise their sins being washed away.
May – June (Vaikasi)	Vaikasi visakam Vaikasi Visakam is celebrated as birthday of Lord Murugan on the day when the Nakshatram Visakam coincides with the full moon or Pournami in the month of Vaikasi or Rishabham month. Thedevotees take out procession and carry milk to Subramania temples to perform milk Abhishekam to the deity.
August –September (Āvani)	Avani Avittam It is observed on the day of the full moon in the month of Avani (Simha) and coinciding with the star Avittam (Dhanishta). Brahmins choose the day of Shravana Purnima to begin the study of Vedas as the day coincides with Hayagriva Jayanti. Hayagriva Jayanti is the birth anniversary of Lord Hayagriva who is considered the incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that Lord Hayagriva restored all Vedas to Brahma.
September –October (Puratāsi)	Lakshmi Puja In West Bengal, Orissa and Assam, the most important day to worship Goddess Lakshmi falls on the full moon day in lunar month purattāsi.
November- December (Kārthigai)	Kārthikai Deepam Kārthigai deepam celebrated on the Pournami day in the month of Karthigai, is a very important festival celebrated in Tamilnadu. There is an interesting story behind it. It was in a playful mood that the mother Goddess closed the eyes of Lord Shiva from behind, when the entire world lost light and was immersed in darkness; when the left and right eyes were closed, the Sun and the Moon lost their light; when the third eye was closed Agni lost his heat with the touch of the mother's hand. The world lost grace and was filled with darkness. Everyone was in fear. This angered the Lord and told her that even though this was done playfully, it was a big mistake and cursed the Devi. He bade her to go to Earth and "perform penance till the time I come to you". It is at the Annamalai [Tiruvannamalai], where the Goddess undertook her penance and was blessed with the Lord Shiva's grace and became a part of his self [the left part]. It is during the Kārthigai month that the penance was undertaken and was blessed on the the Kārthigai day. She beseeched the Lord that like "you graced me in the form of light, you have to bless the world every year on this day".
December - January (Mārgaḷi)	Ārudrā Darisanam Mārgali Thiruvāthirai occurs in conjunction with the full moon and the star Ardrā. This festival of Nataraja Chidambaram is a ten day festival. The festival is considered to symbolize the performance of five-fold functions done by Lord Shiva for uplifting all souls. Unlike this Shiva Linga, in any other temple for whom Abhisheka is performed several times a day, all the days of the year, only 6 Abhishekas are performed in a year for Nataraja anywhere.Lord Nataraja recognized the devotion of Sendan and to honor him, came to his house as a mendicant and was ate the humble gruel or kali. Lord ate well and took off what was left in the house saying that he wanted it for the next meal. Lord Nataraja appeared in the king’s dream and told him that he had been to the hut of Sendan to partake of his kali. The poor Sendan was honored. Sendan (Saint Sendanar) sang a Pallandu poem on Lord Nataraja. From that day, the offering of Kali to Nataraja and the singing of the Pallandu song become the rule in every temple and in every home.