Today is Chitra Pournami

Today 5^th 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.