How Can Women Worship Ancestors On Masi Magham Day

March 8, 2020, is International Women’s Day. This day is dedicated to the celebration of womanhood. Every year on 8 March, the world honors the achievements of women all over the world. It all started with a protest in New York City in 1908, where women marched in the streets demanding voting rights, lesser working hours, and better pay. Today Women’s Day is a global event. Though it appears like women are much better off today than in the past, statistics tell a different story. We have indeed come a long way from 1908, but there is still much ground to be covered before women can be considered the equals of men. So even as we celebrate, we need to reflect on the changes to be made for this to become a reality. 

Masi Magham is a Tamil festival that comes in the Tamil month of Masi (Feb – March) on the day the full moon aligns with the star, Magha. Magha is said to be the birth star of royalty. On this day, a heavenly consciousness is believed to pervade the earth. It is said that on this day, celestial beings and ancestors (Pitrus) descend to earth to take a dip in the holy waters to wash away their sins as well as the sins of all humanity. 

This year, Masi Magham falls on March 8, coinciding with Women’s Day. Women can benefit from the spiritual blessings of this day by remembering and honoring their ancestors on this day. There are some rituals that women can perform on Masi Magham day for this purpose:

• Offer flowers to pictures of their deceased kinsfolk
• Offer food to the needy
• Feed balls of cooked white rice and sesame seeds to crows
• Pray for ancestors' Moksha
• Seek forgiveness for their known & unknown sins