New Delhi, 4 October (IANS). Sharad Purnima, also known as Kojagari Purnima, is not just a festival. It also has great importance from religious, Ayurvedic and scientific terms. “Kojagari” means – “Who is awake?”, Because on this night, Mother Lakshmi tests her devotees.
On this night, the moon is closest to the Earth and is full of its sixteen arts. The moonlight of this perfect moon is considered amritamayi and it is said that keeping herbs and medicines in the moonlight on this night increases their medicinal power by four times. Ayurvedacharya wait for this night throughout the year and enhances their power by keeping the lifestyle and curative herbs in the moonlight. Apart from this, Sharad Purnima is celebrated as the Prakatasava of Maa Lakshmi. This is also one of the reasons that on Sharad Purnima, Mother Lakshmi gets the blessings of Maa Lakshmi by eating dear kheer as a prasad.
According to the Hindu calendar, Sharad Purnima is celebrated on the full moon of Ashwin month. This year, 6 October is Sharadiya Purnima. It is known for worship and devotion to the moon, especially from Amavasya or other festivals. On this day, making kheer and offering it to the deities and receiving the grace of the moon is an ancient tradition.
The Padma Purana and Skanda Purana mentions making kheer on Sharad Purnima and offering to deities. Kheer is considered a symbol of purity and prosperity. By offering it, there is a communication of happiness and prosperity in the entire family. The mixture of milk and rice in kheer is considered a symbol of grain and nutrition.
Creating and offering kheer is not only the action of giving food, but is a symbol of devotion and reverence. It is said in the scriptures that the devotee who makes kheer with simplicity and reverence offers it to the Moon or Goddess, he gets spiritual peace and health benefits.
Kheer is made from nutritious things like milk, rice, saffron, cashew nuts, pistachios. All these ingredients are beneficial for our health anyway. Milk contains elements like protein, calcium, vitamins. Rice contains elements such as folic acid, vitamins, potassium, magnesium, fiber and iron. Similarly, saffron, cashew nuts and pistachios also have beneficial ingredients for our health. If it takes a lot of time to cook kheer, then the elements of all these nutritious things come in kheer and it also provides health benefits along with taste.
-IANS
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