Mahalaya Amavasai

Mahalaya Amavasai

Mahalaya Amavasai is an auspicious day for Hindus. Usually people offer tarpanams (offerings) to their ancestors on this day.

As per Hindu lunar calendar, Mahalaya Amavasai is the new moon day of Badrapada month and it falls generally in September/October month.

Legend

There is a story in Mahabharata, which explains the significance of Mahalaya Amavasai and Mahalaya paksha (fortnight preceding Mahalaya amavasai). Karna is a very generous and great donor. After his death in the battlefield, he went to heaven. He was given gold, silver etc. to eat. He asked the king of heaven why he was given gold and silver in place of food. Then Lord Indra replied that he was not given food because he never gave any food or water to anyone. Karna requested Lord Indra to send him to earth again. He came back and donated food and water to the needy for 15 days, gave tarpanam to his ancestors on Amavasai day and went back to heaven. Then he had been offered food, water etc. in heaven. Those 15 days are called Mahalaya Paksha and Mahalaya Amavasai.

Significance of Mahalaya Amavasai

Mahalaya means pitruloka the place where ancestors live after leaving their body. The fortnight preceding Mahalaya Amavasai is called Mahalaya Paksha. This fortnight is dedicated for giving tarpanams and shraddas for departed ancestors. Food, water, clothes etc. will be given generously to people. There is a belief that these 15 days the ancestors come to their children’s home to receive tarpanams. By offering tarpanams, ancestors become happy and shower blessings upon us. It is believed that people who died in accidents, unnatural deaths will also get benefitted from the tarpanams and offerings given on Mahalaya Amavasai. The scripture Markandeya Purana says that if the ancestors are content with the shraddhas, they will bestow health, wealth, knowledge and longevity, and ultimately heaven and salvation (moksha) upon the performer. In Bengal Mahalaya Amavasai marks the beginning of Navarathri festivities. They believe goddess Durga will descend to Earth on this day. So they wake up early on this day and offer prayers to goddess Durga.

Spiritual Significance of Mahalaya Amavasai

Tarpanam means remembering our ancestors. It is an act of showing gratitude to them. While doing tarpanam we offer food, water, clothes etc. to our ancestors and pray to them. The attitude of gratitude brings abundance in life. Performing Tarpanam for our departed lineage is an act of great compassion and is the most effective way of honouring these souls. In general Amavasai is considered as a good day for spiritual practices because the moon and sun exert a combined gravitational pull on earth and the energies of all beings is pulled upwards. It increases the awareness. Mahalaya Amavasai is best among those days due to heightened awareness. It is said that the door between departed souls and earth opens during this period. So by offering prayers and pleasing them we can get positive energy. This fortnight window is a time you can seek help from your ancestors to dissolve the karma affecting all aspects of your present life, including your health, wealth, career and relationships. Even enlightened yogis and rishis wait for the Mahalaya time each year to obtain blessings from their own ancestors. It dissolves two types of ancestral karma. The first type is the karma that blocks the liberation of your ancestors’ souls and the second is the karma that blocks you from receiving the blessings of your ancestors. Dissolving these karmas are essential for one’s spiritual progression too. Unconditional service to humanity, is one of the virtues noted in the scriptures that helps to remove karma and cleanse the subtle bodies. Donating clothes and food to the poor and needy are an essential part of Mahalaya rituals.

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