The auspicious month of Margasheersha, also known as Margazhi in Tamil, has started from 16 December. Margasheersha is considered auspicious for putting efforts into one’s own spiritual growth - be it Sadhana, Vrata, Bhajan or Pooja - for the Upasakas of Shiva, Shakti, Vishnu as well as others. Margasheersha is named after the Mrigshira Nakshatra - the time when the full moon appears closest to the Orion constellation. The name can itself be taken to mean 'the one that leads us to the right path'. In Bhagvadgeeta, Sri Krishna says: म ा स ा न ा ं म ा ग श ी ष ऽ ह म ृत ून ा ं क ु स ुम ा क र ः , that is, among the months, Srikrishna is the Margasheersha, indicating that he himself puts the Bhakta on the path towards the divine. Several festivals fall in this month. On the Shukla Ekadashi (the 11th day of the waxing moon phase) Gita Jayanti is celebrated. Mokshada (the giver of Moksha) Ekadashi or Vaikuntha Ekadasi falls in this month. The Krishna Paksha Ashtami (eighth day of the waning moon phase) is celebrated as the Kalabhairava Ashtami, the day when Shiva manifested himself as Kalabhairava. Thiruvathira or Arudhra Darisanam is also celebrated in this month with grandeur in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In this festival, the cosmic dance of Shiva as Nataraja - representing the continuous cycle of creation and destruction - is celebrated. Dattatreya Jayani occurs on Poornima (full moon day) of the Margashirsha, and Katyayani Vrata that the Gopis carried out for Srikrishna also falls in the Margasheesha. The pilgrimage to holy shrine of Sri Ayyappa in Sabarimala also falls in this month. From the Editor's Desk: Indira Srivatsa Editor | A TO Z INDIA [email protected] +91-7550160116 A TO Z INDIA ● JANUARY 2022 ● PAGE 4 Why Margazhi Month Is Auspicious Understanding The Science Behind Ancient Hindu Calendar