Today 5th May 2012 –
is Full Moon day (Pournami in Tamil) – it is full moon day in the month of
Chithirai – with special significance as ‘Chitra Pournami’ – a unique festival
observed on the full moon day (Pournami – Poornima) in the month of Chithirai. Some associate this day with Chitragupta, the
official keeper of deeds in the abode of Yama
In most temple towns, today is
celebrated with people going to temples and eating on the banks of rivers. It is
believed that bathing in holy rivers and temple ponds on this day will wash
away the sins committed.
There are reports that in
Srirangam, the district administration
is planning to hold a "Kodai Vizha" (summer festival) on the river-bank-turned-mini
beach on the Cauvery on Chitra Pournami day. The stretch of the bank at
Ammamandapam in Srirangam had been thrown open to the public on April 22. The
Trichy corporation levelled the bank by weeding out bushes in an attempt to create
a beach-like ambience. The corporation had also made arrangements for lighting
the place, and since the day of its inauguration, it had been a great hit with
the people, particularly the young and the old. An estimated 1,500 people visit
the "mini beach" every day.
At Kanchipuram, Devarajar (Lord
Varadarajar) will visit the palar bed and en route there will halts
(Mandakapadis) at various villages. Thousands of bakthas will descend on Palar
to have darshan of Lord Devathirajar, partake in festivities, wish one another
and be happy. In olden days, there would
be hundreds of bullock carts as people from various nearby villages would come
to the banks of Palar for darshan and spending time eating delicacies in the
moonlit night.
In olden days, even in cities
people used to relish this day by going to their rooftops and having ‘mixed-rice
dishes’ – in the age of nuclear families, there is no place for such
festivities though !
Today happens to be a Super moon
also. Read more about today’s Supermoon
in my other blog. Click here to read : Supermoom
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar .
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