Sharad Purnima (Kojagari) Laxmi Puja 2023 Date and Time
Kojagari Puja is a really important day celebrated in various ways in different places. Some call it Sharad Purnima or Bengali Laxmi Puja because it’s all about worshipping Goddess Laxmi on the full moon day. The Purnima starts at 4:17 AM on 28th October 2023 and ends on October 29, 2023, at 1:53 AM.
Goddess Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth, happiness, and prosperity. On this day, people worship her to seek wealth and remove financial troubles from their lives.
Kojagari Laxmi Puja Puja Vidhi
Kojagara Puja usually begins in the evening with a prayer ceremony, and people often stay awake all night for special ceremonies. In some parts of India, the evening is known as Sharad Purnima. There is a custom of placing a dish of rice pudding (kheer) under the moonlight because the midnight hour, known as “nishita kaal,” is considered an auspicious time for these ceremonies. This holiday is also celebrated in Bihar and Bundelkhand, though the traditions differ.
Some people stay awake all night, which means they participate in a midnight vigil. The person who stays up all night is known as a Kojagara (Ko + Jagara). By following Lakshmi Puja after the midnight vigil, devotees receive the divine blessings of Goddess Lakshmi.
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Kojagari Puja Rituals
The Kojagara Puja celebration involves many traditions and rituals. People pray to Goddess Lakshmi during this Puja. They place her idol in homes or special tents. The customs of Kojagara Puja can be different from place to place and among different religions, but the goal is to seek divine blessings.
A priest helps devotees in doing Lakshmi Puja at Kojagara Puja. To seek her blessings, they offer fried coconut, palm flowers, delicious snacks, and khichuri. Women frequently make lovely Alpana decorations in front of their homes to represent Goddess Lakshmi’s feet. Goddess Lakshmi is said to visit every home on this day.
Celebration of Kojagari Puja
Women draw Alpana designs in front of their homes on this special day, creating patterns that symbolize the feet of Goddess Lakshmi. People believe that on this day, Goddess Lakshmi visits every home, bringing heavenly gifts of good fortune and wealth. To please the Goddess, devotees stay up all night, reciting prayers, singing hymns, and lighting clay lamps and other lights.
Many followers also fast during the day, fasting from food and drink. After performing all of the ceremonies and giving flattened rice and coconut water to Goddess Lakshmi, they break their fast.
Kojagiri Laxmi Puja Significance
In the Hindu month of “Ashwin,” Kojagiri Puja is a special day when people worship Goddess Lakshmi during the full moon, or Purnima.
In Indian states like Orissa, West Bengal, and Assam, it is a significant event. This day falls between September and October on the regular calendar. Kojagiri Purnima, also known as Bengal Lakshmi Puja, is all about Lakshmi, the Goddess of Prosperity, visiting Earth on “Ashwin Purnima.” She’s believed to bring prosperity and good health to everyone. In some parts of India, Kojagiri Purnima is also called Sharad Purnima. It’s a significant celebration in Central India, especially in Bundelkhand and a few places in Bihar.
The purpose of Kojagara Puja
Kojagara Puja is all about pleasing Goddess Lakshmi. For Hindus, the Purnima in the month of Ashwin is a special time known as the “Night of Awakening.” It’s believed that during this time, Goddess Lakshmi comes to Earth to bless her followers with prosperity, wealth, and divine favors. These blessings are given to those who perform the puja with complete commitment. The harvest and Kojagara celebrations fall on the same day in the northern Indian states.