Mahalaya Amavasya 2023 falls on a Saturday on 14th of October .
Mahalaya Amavasya is one of the important and auspicious new moon day on which we pay respect to the departed souls of the family and ancestors by performing darpan.
Amavasya’s (new moon days) are one of the most important days when the departed souls of the family and the ancestors are worshiped. During this day the darpan is performed to provide water and food to the ancestral souls.
How to prepare for Mahalaya Worship:
The entire household has to be cleaned on the day before the mahalaya Amavasya. All the necessary pooja items are to be kept ready. The pooja room and the pooja utensils are to be kept ready. The members in the family should avoid eating non vegetarian food and only take sattvic- vegetarian food on this day.
Mahalaya pitru paksha
The span of fifteen days in the Tamil month of Puratassi ( September - October) is called the Mahalaya Pitru paksha. These days are very special to invite the ancestral souls to stay with us and to bless us.
Mahalaya Pitru paksha holds a great significance since it is very powerful that performing the rituals for the ancestors on these days will remove all the sins that are committed by you as well as your ancestors. One can get good fortune and abundance of blessings for health, wealth and prosperity.
It is very auspicious to perform the fasting on all the 15 days of the Pitru paksha and offer prayers and perform the rituals. And then consume food.
Mahalaya Amavasya 2023
Mahalaya pitru paksham this year begins on 30th September and ends on 14th October.
Mahalaya Amavasya is on October 14. The Amavasya tithi begins at 10:41 pm on 13th October and ends at 11.57 pm on 14th October.
This year the mahalaya amavasya is considered much more special since it falls on a saturday in the month of Puratassi - the special month of lord Vishnu, the deity of heaven. This makes it more special and helps the souls reach heaven by removing their karmas.
Since it is a saturday this year, the Kuligam period is between 6 am to 7.30 am, Rahukala period is between 9 am to 10.30 am and Emakandham is between 01.30 pm to 3 pm.
The Pitru darpanam should not be given during Rahukala period. Hence, the darpanam in the morning can be performed between 07.35 am to 08.55 am, &
10.35 am before 1:20 pm. The darpanam should always be given in the morning by offering water, sesame seeds and cooked food .
Mahalaya Paksha fasting :
The fifteen days after the full moon(pournami ) in the Tamil month of Puratasi are called Mahalaya Paksha period. Fasting on thees 15 days and offering Darpanam to your ancestors or departed family member is considered very special and auspicious.
If one is not able to perform darpanam for all the fifteen days, it has to be dome on the final day that is Mahalaya Amavasya. The darpanam that is done on this day is very special and reaches all our ancestors, but the darpanam that is given on the other Amavasyas goes only to the name recited during the process.
It is believed that the darpanam and offering that we do on this day removes the sins that are committed by them knowingly or unknowingly and help them a step forward in attaining moksha. Hence the mahalaya Amavasya is also referred as Sarvapitru moksha Amavasya.
How to perform Darpanam:
On the day of Mahalaya Amavasya the in the morning sesame seeds and water is offered to the ancestors. Then the rituals of the darpanam are performed. This can be performed by self or with the help of temple priest.
The oil / ghee lamp in the pooja room must be lit and the pooja room must be decorated with flowers. Decorate with turmeric and kumkum and worship the deities by offering fruits and neiveidhiyam.
Place the photo of the departed member of the family and garland to it The photo of the dead family member or ancestors must not be placed in the pooja room. It can be kept outside the pooja room and decorated.
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Then during the day one should offer home cooked fresh food to the ancestors and worship them. In the evening, in the puja room of the house, along with the usual lighted lamp, one should pour ghee in a separate bowl and light the lamp for the ancestors. It is believed that this will give them salvation.
Speciality about Mahalaya Amavasya:
Amavasyas are very special days where Hindus offer darpanam to their ancestors, it is believed that the ancestors visit the earth only once a year to see their family members and bless them.
It is believed that the souls of the departed members of the family leave the earth and reach the Pitruloka. And from there it is said that the souls attain salvation if proper darpanam is performed.
There are three important Amavasyas that are considered very auspicious and worshiped sincerely. Thai amavasya on which our ancestors leave the pitru lokha. The mahalaya paksha amavasya is the one when they reach earth and live with us for some time. During Aadi amavasya the ancestral souls depart the earth to reach the pitru lokha.
Significance of worshiping the ancestors on Mahalaya Amavasya:
By offering darpanam to the ancestral souls one can get rid of the bad karmas.
The sins that are committed by the ancestral souls can also be cleared and be relieved from the cycle of birth and death, their souls can attain salvation.
One can get the blessings of the kula deivam (family deity ) and be able to live a peaceful life.
The pleased ancestral souls bless the family members with health, wealth and prosperity in life.
One can get success in all ventures of life and divine bliss.
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