What is Chitra Pournami

Hinduism is a fascinating religion. In India, there is a plethora of gods and goddesses who are worshipped, for one. So it is not surprising that the Hindu calendar is full of holy festivals that pay homage to them. Among them is Chitra Pournami/Chitra Purnima. This festival is dedicated to Chitragupta. Chitragupta is the assistant of Lord Yama, the God of Death. As per mythology, his role is that of an accountant who keeps an account of the deeds of human beings on earth. It is a Tamil festival that is observed on the Purnima (full moon day) during Chithirai month. In the English calendar, this corresponds to the period, April-May. It is a highly auspicious day as the full moon, and the Chitra star coincides on this day.

According to the Hindu scriptures, Chitragupta‘s job is to help Yama in judging the good and bad actions of an individual. Hindu belief says that after death, a person’s soul reaches the abode of Yama. Once Chitragupta has assessed the deeds of the dead person, he pronounces them to be a good or a bad soul. Accordingly, Yama decides the fate of the soul. This myth underscores the importance of performing good deeds so that one can accumulate good karma in life. Hindus believe in rebirth and the idea that one’s next life will be good or bad according to our past karma. Our birth chart reflects this karma in the way different planets are positioned in the sky at the time of our birth. If our past karma was good, the planets will be favorably placed, and if the karma was bad, their positions will not be favorable. 

Since Chitragupta is the deity who keeps track of our deeds, Hindus believe that worshipping him on the day of Chitra Pournami will appease him and make him mitigate the effects of their bad karma. So, on this auspicious day, they honor him and ask pardon for their sins. Another Hindu legend claims that Chitra Purnima is also dedicated to Indra, who is the Lord of the Gods.
Chitra Purnima 2021 is on April 27, a Tuesday.

Rituals for Chitra Purnima:

On Chitra Pournami day, special poojas are performed in temples in many parts of southern India. The ceremonies at the Chitragupta temple in Kanchipuram, Chandra Moulishwar temple in Thiruvakkarai, and Airavateshwarar temple in Darasuram are particularly notable and attract large crowds of devotees.

Devotees worship Chitragupta with great devotion, as they believe that if one does so, all their past sins will be erased. Besides, they will also acquire the courage to live a truthful life. Devotees also take a dip in holy water bodies as this ritual is believed to wash away their sins.

At the Chitragupta temples, people worship him by offering flowers, incense sticks, and camphor. Special delicacies like chakkarai pongal are also offered. All the delicacies made on this day are prepared without salt. On this day, devotees also avoid having milk and milk-based products. Some take buffalo milk.

Devotees also read and meditate on the story of Indra and his Guru, Brihaspati.

Also, one should feed the poor or donate rice, clothes, and vegetables on this day.

Significance of Chitra Pournami:

Chitra Purnima is a very holy day in many ways. This full moon in the ‘Chithirai’ month is the first full moon day of the Vedic year. This day is very powerful in terms of eliminating bad karma, which can affect health, wealth, and relationships. By worshipping Chitragupta on this day, we can remove bad karma and consolidate our good karma. His blessings can help maintain the good karma in our lives. On this day, it is beneficial to perform good deeds like charity or donation. This serves to balance out the sins we have committed in our lifetime.