2018-10-24 Wed

Kojagiri or Sharad Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin. It is a harvest festival that marks the end of the monsoon season. It is also believed that Goddess Lakshmi was born on this day.

Many people celebrate this festival by observing fast the whole day; the fast is broken at night under the moonlight by consuming milk. During this time the moon is closest to the earth and it is believed to have healing powers. The celebration includes spending the entire night outdoors soaking in the moonlight and rejuvenating our bodies and making us ready for the colder nights that are come in the next months. Also the goddess Lakshmi is said to roam the earth on this night observing the human beings and blessing those who are awake and celebrating life.

In India, each festival has a scientific significance to it and it is believed in Ayurveda that this during ‘Sharad Ritu’ acidity becomes predominant and consumption of cold milk at night is a good remedy to get rid of acidity. Also, the healing powers of the moon rays are considered effective to those suffering from chronic diseases like Asthma.

The stamp depicted beside is a Moon Mask stamp of 50 paise issued in 1974 as a part of Masks of India series.

Image Courtesy: Mintage World