THURSDAY, 25 OCTOBER – THURSDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2018

Kartik, also known as the month of Damodara, is a month for deepening one’s love for Krishna. It is considered by devotees of Krishna to be the holiest month of the year. Devotees perform devotional activities for the pleasure of the Lords and blessing in this month is 1000 times more, than in any other time of the year.

So during this month, devotees make extra vows, perform extra spiritual activities, and generally worship Krishna in his form as a young boy, Damodara, who was once bound at the waist by his mother, Yashoda, as a punishment for his mischievous childhood pastimes.

The month of Kartika is the best of all months, and it is in this month that many special festivals like Dhan – Teras, Diwali, Govardhan Puja, Bhai Duj, Tulsi Vivaah, and various others festivals take place.

Following are excerpts from the Puranas describing the glory of the pious Kartik month:

1)“If somebody performs even a little worship of Lord Shri Hari in this month, He offers that devotee His own abode.”

2)“If somebody burns a lamp in the temple of Lord Shri Hari even for a short time (in the month of Kartik), then whatever sins, he has acquired for millions of kalpas (one kalpa equals 1000 yugas) are all destroyed.”

3)“A person, who for the entire month of Kartik eats only once a day, becomes very famous, powerful and heroic.”

4)“A person who happily reads the Bhagavad Gita in the month of Kartik does not return to the world of birth and death.”

5)“Of all gifts, the gift of a lamp during the month of Kartik is the best. No gift is its equal.”

6)“The pious result obtained by bathing in all holy places and giving all charities is not equal to one ten-millionth part of the result obtained by following the vow of Kartik.”

How to Observe Kartik Month

The month of Kartik is celebrated in a very special way. Holy bath, meditation, charity, the marriage of goddess Tulsi are some of the religious ceremonies performed during the Kartik month and the one who performs them gets relief from all the sins. It is considered one of the most auspicious months of the year, in which the devotees get an opportunity to discard all evil deeds and adopt a pure way of life.

The person observing the fasts in this month should follow certain rules and regulation to get good results since it is believed that without following these rules the fast is not considered complete. The devotees take bath in Ganga River early in the morning and worship God at their homes.

Worship Radha – Krishna with tulsi, amla etc in the morning after taking bath, along with all other gods and goddesses. In the evening worship Lord Vishnu and goddess Tulsi by lightning a diya. It is believed that in the Kartik month, the rays of Sun and Moon have a positive effect on the body and mind of humans. Worshipping Lord Vishnu, goddess Tulsi in Kartik month has a special significance and the one who does it is blessed with good fruits.