Karthik Poornima celebrations in India
The month of Karthik Masa is celebrated throughout India with great dedication towards Lord Shiva as he the main deity worshipped in this month. The Poornima on the day of Shukla Paksha in the Kartik month is known as Karthik Poornima. Karthik Poornima is also known as Tripuri Purnima and Ganga Snan.
Karthik Poornima in Andhra Pradesh:
According to the Hindu Telugu calendar, people of Andhra Pradesh celebrate Karthik Poornima in the eighth month. The Karthik month is dedicated to both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu. In this month people of Andhra Pradesh perform various rituals and vratas. This month is sacred for snakes on the day dedicated to Nagula Chavithi and perform pooja to snakes and perform Mahajal Abhishekam to lord Shiva Lingam. In some places of Andhra Pradesh Bhakteshwara Vratam is performed on Kartika Poornam day. In Andhra Pradesh, Anantagiri Jathara is celebrated during Kartik Purnima at Ananthagiri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy temple.
Karthik Poornima in Gujrat:
In Gujarat state Karthik Poornima is celebrated by performing Tulsi Vishnu Vivah. Bhodini Ekadasi or on Ksheerabdi Dwadashi are the sacred days for people in Gujrat. Karthik Poornima celebrations are associated with the legend of demon Tarakasur who was killed by Lord kartikeya.
Karthik Poornima in Rajasthan:
A Pushkar Mela and Kapal Mochan Mela is organized in in Rajasthan state during Karthik Poorninma which is a largest cattle fair in the world.
Karthik Poornima in Varanasi:
Devotees across the country come Varanasi and celebrated Karthik Poornima by taking dip in holy rivers. Many devotees tale a holy dip in River Ganga in Uttar Pradesh an perform many Indian traditions and rituals on the day of Karthik Poornima.
Karthik Poornima in Maharashtra:
In the state of Maharashtra some of the temples are dedicated to Lord Karthik and special rituals are performed to lord Karthik the commander of the army of Gods on karthik Poornima which is held on full moon day. And it is a custom for the people of Maharashtra to make a darshan to Karthiuk sawmy temple on this day.
Karthik Poornima in Tamilnadu:
Karthika Poornima is called as Karthigai Deepam in Tamilnadu. This festival is celebrated for 3 days with great dedication and joy by Tamil nadu people. On the day of Kartigai Deepam people clean their houses and decorate with lights and put rangoli in the front door to welcome Goddess Laxmi and burn crackers.
In Tamilnadu, people follow a custom of lightning diya from the day of Diwali and while some people double the number of diyas day by day and lit large number of diya’s on karthik poornima day. In Tamil nadu Karthigai Deepam is observed as Vishnu Deepam in vishnu temples as lord Vishnu is worshipped on this day.
And in many places of India Karthik Poornima is celebrated with much delight in most of the Shiva temples such as:
Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi
Rameshwaram temple
Arunachaleshwara temple at Thiruvannamalai,
Manjunatha temple at Dharmasthala
Srisailam Mallikarjuna swamy temple
Vemulawada Rajarajeshwara swamy temple
Keesaragutta Ramalingeshwara swamy temple
Kaleshwaram Shiva temple
All these temples are very famous in south enshrined Lord Shiva as main deity and people from across the south visit these pilgrim places during Karthik month.