It is indeed a true fact that the Moon God looks most beautiful on the Kartik Poornima. The Kartik Poornima or the full moon night is considered the most auspicious date in our Sanatana Dharma. Any good deed, donation, ritual or festivity conducted on this particular day is considered to bestow the benefit of doing ten sacrificial Yagnas to the Almighty. Hence, charity and donations play a very important part in the ritualistic activities of the Kartik Poornima.
Kartik Poornima is also called the Tripurari Poornima. It was on this very day that Bhagwan Shiv had ended the atrocities of the Tripurasuras and bought in peace to the three worlds. As Kartik also happens to be the favourite month of Bhagwan Shiv, the temples all across our country are filled with devotional fervour and chants of the name of Bhagwan Shiv. This day also marks the importance of the Tulasi Pooja. The divine plant is the most sacred one in our Dharma. The Tulasi plants in homes are worshipped and ghee lamps are lit and decorated as this believes to bring in the radiance of good prosperity in our homes. Apart from the Tulasi plant, the Amla and the Fig tree too are worshipped on this day. In the Telugu states, People make it a custom to cook food and eat it under an Amla tree which is called as Kartik Van Bhojan. This is because the Amla tree has many medicinal benefits and the breeze of the Amla tree during this month is considered to get rid of many ill-health problems.
In some of the legends, The Kartik Poornima is considered to be the date on which Bhagwan Vishnu incarnated in the Matsya Avatar to protect the Vedas from the demon Soma. In our Sanatana Dharma, the Chaaturmaas is considered to be one of the most holy rituals followed. Bhagwan Vishnu gets up from his sleep of four months on the end of the Chaaturmaas Vrat, and it falls on the Kartik Poornima day. Hence, Bhagwan Vishnu is worshipped with great devotion on this day, as he getting up from his sleep is considered to bring in light into the creation. This day is also called as the Dev Diwali, as the celebration of the lights festival by the celestials. The ghats of Varnasi celebrate the Dev Diwali in great pomp and splendour with special Aartis offered to Bhagwan Shiv, Bhagwan Vishnu and the sacred river of Ganga.
The Kartik Poornima is also the most important day for the
Sikhs as it was on this very day that Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji was born and is celebrated as the Guru
Nanak Jayanthi.
The day begins with taking a ritual bath, (if possible) near the rivers or holy lakes. This bath is
popular as the Kartik Snaan. Donating lamps on this day is considered to be the most auspicious
ritual. After the rituals of worship are finished, the donation of ghee lamps takes place, and in the
evening, the ghee lamps are lit in the homes and also left in the rivers through small paper boats. A
ritual bath on the ghats of Ganga is considered to be the sacred one. With the offering of ghee
lamps, one gets rid of the darkness and welcomes the positivity of light into the homes. Just as the
moon shines bright on the Kartik Poornima, with a belief that life too shines bright, every household
adheres to the devotional rituals on this auspicious day.