Seema Kumari
‘Agni Nakshatram’ (Agni Nakshatram 2023) is one of the major festivals dedicated to Lord Murugan, which is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is celebrated with great pomp and joy mainly at the temples of Lord Murugan at Tiruttani, Palani, Palamuthirasolai. This year ‘Agni Nakshatram’ 2023 ends on Monday 29th May.
According to Panchang, each Nakshatra has 4 quarters and Agni Nakshatra is celebrated when the Sun passes through Kritika Nakshatra. Also, this festival begins when the Sun passes through the third and fourth phases of Bharani Nakshatra and enters the first phase of Rohini Nakshatra. ‘Agni Nakshatram’ is a 14-day festival, celebrated in the month of May. Let us know the date and importance of this festival-
date
Tamil Nadu’s ‘Agni Nakshatram’ festival is celebrated for 14 days. This time this auspicious festival has started from Thursday, May 4th. It will end on Monday, May 29. ‘Agni Nakshatram’ is the only festival celebrated by Indian Hindus in the month of May.
method of worship
During this, there is a ritual of making ‘Pradakshina’ of the holy hill Giri Valam in the morning and in the evening. It is said that by doing this, the aroma of the medicinal herbs that grow here gives peace of mind and good health. During Pradakshina, women adorn themselves with Kadamba flowers, Lord Murugan’s favorite flower found there. Also, daily anointing of Lord Murugan with water is done in the temple every day during ‘Agni Nakshatram’. This water is collected and distributed among all the devotees on the last day. Also, it is considered extremely auspicious to drop this water into temples and wells. However, some devotees also take this pilgrimage water to their homes.
religious meaning
The auspicious festival of ‘Agni Nakshatram’ has immense significance for the devotees of Lord Murugan. According to mythology, Lord Murugan is the son of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. He is also known as the Warrior God. Lord Murugan is known by many names in Hinduism like ‘Skanda’, ‘Kartikeya’ and ‘Subrahmanyam’. Worshiping Lord Murugan during this time is blessed with prosperity, well-being, and success. However, some people also consider this period as inauspicious. In such a situation, try to avoid doing any auspicious work, travel or monetary transaction.
The period of ‘Agni Nakshatram’ is clearly defined as the journey of the Sun through the third and fourth quarters of Bharani Nakshatra, the four quarters of Tara Kritika and finally the first quarter of Rohini Tara. This period is also known as ‘Kartari’ or ‘Kathir’. People, especially in the southern states of India, believe that the 21-day period of Agni Nakshatram is inauspicious. It is believed that any journey undertaken during this time is not fruitful, diseases take longer to heal, money given during this time is not returned, and other unpleasant incidents also occur. There is a common belief that even in ancient times, due to the intense heat wave that occurred during Agni Nakshatra, this period was not chosen for doing auspicious works.
