Agrahayana or Margashirsha, ( or ), is the ninth month of the
Hindu calendar
The Hindu calendar, also called Panchangam, Panchanga (), is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes ...
. In
India's national civil calendar, ''Agrahayana'' is also the eight month of the year, beginning on 16 November and ending on 15 December. Margashirsha means related to the
Mrigashīrsha nakṣatra (
asterism), which has been known since
Vedic times.
In lunar religious calendars, Agrahayana or Margashirsha typically begins either on the new moon or the full moon, depending on the regional tradition, and generally corresponds to the ninth month of the year.
In solar religious calendars, Agrahayana (or
Margaḻi in Tamil traditions) begins with the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
's entry into the zodiac sign
Sagittarius (Dhanus Rashi) and is considered the ninth month of the year.
Festivals
Vaikunta Ekadashi, observed on the
Ekadashi
Ekadashi () is the eleventh lunar day (''tithi'') of the waxing (''Shukla Paksha, Shukla Pakṣa)'' and waning (''Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa)'' lunar cycles in a Hindu calendar, Vedic calendar month. Ekadashi is popularly observed within Vaishnavism one ...
(11th lunar day) of Margashirsha month, is celebrated also as ''
Mokshada Ekadashi''. Additionally, the 10th Canto, 22nd Chapter of
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one ...
narrates a significant episode where the young, marriageable daughters of the cowherd men of
Gokula (
gopis) worship goddess
Katyayani. During the entire Margashirsha month, considered the first month of the winter season (Śiśira Ritu), the gopis undertook a sacred vow (
Vrata
Vrata is a Sanskrit word that means "vow, resolve, devotion", and refers to pious observances such as Fasting#Hinduism, fasting and pilgrimage (Tirtha (Hinduism), Tirtha) found in Indian religions such as Hinduism and Jainism. It is typically ...
) with the desire to have
Krishna
Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...
as their husband.
Bhairava Ashtami occurs on the
Krishna paksha Ashtami of this month of Margashirsha month. According to Hindu tradition, it is believed that on this day, Lord
Shiva
Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...
manifested in his fierce form as
Bhairava on Earth. This day is commemorated with special prayers, rituals, and offerings dedicated to Bhairava, who is regarded as the protector and guardian deity.
Margashirsha Guruvar Mahalakshmi Vrat, also known as Margashirsha Devi Vrat, is a sacred observance dedicated to Goddess
Lakshmi
Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...
. This fast is observed on all Thursdays of the Margashirsha month in the Hindu lunar calendar, totaling four days of devotion and prayer. The fast holds special significance, as it is associated with wealth, prosperity, mental and spiritual growth, making it ideal for invoking goddess Lakshmi’s blessings. Devotees recite powerful stotras and hymns, including the ''Lakshmi Ashtottara Shatanamavali'' (108 names of Lakshmi), the
Śrī Sūkta, and the ''Mahalakshmi Ashtakam''. In Odisha this fast is celebrated as
Manabasa Gurubara.
In Tamil Nadu, during this month of
Margaḻi, women make
kolams or
rangoli
Rangoli is an art form that originates from the Indian subcontinent, in which patterns are created on the floor or a tabletop using materials such as powdered limestone, red ochre, dry rice flour, coloured sand, quartz powder, Petal, flower ...
early in the morning. Devotees usually go to temples each morning and recite
Thiruppavai by
Andal
Andal (ISO 15919: Āṇḍāḷ), also known as Godhai, Nachiyar, and Godha Devi, is the only female Alvars, Alvar. (Orthodoxy posits the number of Alvars as ten, though there are other references that include Andal and Madhurakavi Alvar, ...
and
Thiruvempavai by
Manikkavacakar.
See also
*
Astronomical basis of the Hindu calendar
The Hindu calendar is based on a geocentric model of the Solar System.Burgess 1935, p. 285 (XII. 32) A geocentric model describes the Solar System as seen by an observer on the surface of the Earth.
The Hindu calendar defines nine measures of ...
*
Hindu units of measurement
*
Hindu astronomy
Astronomy has a long history in the Indian subcontinent, stretching from pre-historic to modern times. Some of the earliest roots of Indian astronomy can be dated to the period of Indus Valley civilisation or earlier. Astronomy later develope ...
*
Jyotiṣa
*
Precession
Precession is a change in the orientation of the rotational axis of a rotating body. In an appropriate reference frame it can be defined as a change in the first Euler angle, whereas the third Euler angle defines the rotation itself. In o ...
of the earth,
Equinox
A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun appears directly above the equator, rather than to its north or south. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise directly east and set directly west. This occurs twice each year, arou ...
References
{{Indian astronomy
*09