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What Is The Significance of Amavasya in Hinduism?

Aman

13 August, 2024

• Meaning of Amavasya 2024
• All Amavasya Dates 2024-25
• Bheemana Amavasya 2024
• July Month Amavasya 2024
• September Month Amavasya 2024
• Pitru Amavasya 2024
• Sarvapitri Amavasya 2024
• Mauni Amavasya 2024
• Pitra Visarjan Amavasya 2024
• Shani Amavasya 2025
• What is Amavasya associated with?
• What must be done on Amavasya?
• Superstitions associated with the month of Amavasya
• FAQs:

We say that Amavasya is a no-moon day. It means, the sky is filled with darkness and there’s no light as such from the moon, since there’s no visible moon. This day or night holds great significance in Hindu culture. Amavasya is considered important for carrying out many religious and spiritual practices.  It’s the day when you can connect with your inner spiritual being. When there’s no moon in the sky, the reflection of the inner self might have darkness and negativity. But with the positive tasks and devotion, this negativity needs to be removed.  

It's the time to look into the mind deeply and also do positive introspection of self. Suppose darkness becomes dominant in life, you need to know how to remove that darkness. Amavasya, therefore, becomes an ideal time to have compassion for other beings and be in their service. 

In Hinduism, this night has significant spiritual importance. Many Hindus pick this night to make a tarpan or (offering) to their ancestors who have passed away to know more about this you can visit Pitru Paksha Shradh 2024. The question of whether Amavasya is auspicious or not is still a matter of debate. 

In India, the word ‘Amavasya’ is widely used in all regional languages. The Shukla Paksha refers to the fortnight that begins with Amavasya (the bright half of the month). Mauni Amavasya in the Hindu month of Magh (January-February) and Mahalaya Amavasya in the Hindu month of Ashwayuja (September-October) are both considered auspicious. Similarly, in Tamil Nadu, the month of Aadi is quite important. In Kerala, the Amavasya in the Karkidakam month is significant. 

Read this article to learn the meaning and significance of Amavasya and the days when there will be no moon from July 2024 to August 2025.

Meaning of Amavasya 2024

Amavasya is a Sanskrit word. If you bifurcate the word Amavasya in Sanskrit, you will get a beautiful and perfect meaning.

• A means no
• Mav means moon
• Asya means there

So, Amavasya means there’s no moon. 

Some people feel that this night is all about darkness. But the darkness has its power. People perform many rituals on this day. Some people also do charity on this auspicious day. The followers of Goddess Kali devote wholeheartedly when it’s Amavasya, thinking that it will energize them and give them positivity and fight off negative and dark things.

Amavasya also has an important role in the agricultural calendar. Lunar phases have a significance on sowing seeds and harvesting too. Hindus believe that there is a connection between nature and spirituality. 

If you want to cleanse your mind then Amavasya is considered as a day where you will be under no influence. So, devoting time to religious and spiritual practices is very much possible. There might be negativity and impurity within the mind. This has to be removed through self-introspection and self-cleansing. No day can be as good as Amavasya to get ahead with such practices. 

You will be able to determine your strengths and find out what you are good at. Amavasya will help you connect with your spiritual self. You can recite hymns and slokas during the Amavasya night and seek blessings for inner strength. 

All Amavasya Dates 2024-25

Check the table given below and read the dates of different Amavasya days from July 2024 to August 2025.

We hope the above table is clear and will help you to mark the auspicious dates and days when you can take up the spiritual activities. Be ready to take your soul to the next level. 

Bheemana Amavasya 2024

Amavasya itself is a great day for religious and spiritual practices. Bheemana Amavasya has its own importance.  This is the day when the followers can devote Lord Shiva and Mata Parvati. Bheemana Amavasya is mainly celebrated mainly in the state of Karnataka. As per the lunar calendar, Ashadha month is selected for this celebration. As per the English calendar, Bheemana Amavasya falls in July and August. 

In this year 2024, Bheemana Amavasya is observed on 3^rd August 2024.  Women take up Vrata for the happiness and prosperity of their husbands.  This day is dedicated to Goddess Parvati as she was on her way to consort Shiva. Women in Karnataka feel that this day is best to keep fasts for spouses and to make the marital bonds even stronger. The women observe fasts for their husbands’ longevity and life. 

Apart from a fast, the homes are lit and there’s a rangoli near the door to welcome deities inside the house. This day is like a celebration and families enjoy it a lot. So, it’s kind of a ritual, fast and celebration all together on this one day. As the fast gets over, hefty meals are prepared and shared among the family members.

July Month Amavasya 2024

The date for Amavasya is not fixed. It changes every month as per the Hindu lunar calendar. This calendar follows the phases of the moon and depending on that, the tithis are decided.  In July 2024, the Ashadha Amavasya date is 5^th July 2024. In August, Amavasya is going to be on 3^rd August 2024.

Check the table below to learn about this month's Amavasya dates

As you know about the dates of Amavasya in 2024 and 2025, planning your religious activities and fasts will become pretty easy. If you have to take up compassionate tasks like donation and charity, then too you should know all the dates prior. 

September Month Amavasya 2024

Do you want to know about the upcoming date of Amavasya?  It’s good to plan things well in advance so if you know Amavasya's date for September month, you can plan your religious activities properly. For those on the spiritual path, Amavasya is like a treat as the anticipation will help them in planning the rituals and the timings for the same. So, knowing the September month of Amavasya is an important thing.

If you stay in touch with the lunar calendar, you will know what dates will be Amavasya in the coming month. In September month, the Amavasya date comes out as 2^nd September 2024. If you are planning any spiritual activities then this day of September will be perfect. 

Pitru Amavasya 2024

Pitru Amavasya is also known as Mahalaya Amavasya. Pitru Amavasya falls in the month of September-October. As per the Hindu Lunar calendar, it is Ashwin Month. This is the day when the family members pray to the ancestors and they also perform some rituals as an expression of gratitude. Hindus believe that their forefathers have been blessing them and that they should be thankful to them. Thus, they try to please their ancestors or forefathers by performing rituals like Pind Daan. Some Hindus also call Brahmins at their place for a meal. 

Pitru Amavasya 2024 falls on October 2^nd, 2024 and it is an auspicious day to honour the ancestral heritage. Mahalaya Amavasya is an auspicious day that will mark the presence of your spirituality and the tasks that you must perform.

Sarvapitri Amavasya 2024

There are many different names for Pitru Amavasya. It is also called as Mahalaya Amavasya, Sarvapitri Amavasya and Moksha Amavasya. The followers who want to thank the ancestral lineage or want to dedicate something to their forefathers follow a few rituals on this special day. October 2^nd, 2024 is the day to observe the rituals of Sarvapitri Amavasya.

The blessings that are sought will help the future generations.  Keeping these things in mind, the family members pray for the ancestors, and their peace and also seek prosperity for the new generation. 

Even though the world has grown modern, people still follow their roots and they wish to stick to them. Seeking blessings from Forefathers on Amavasya gives happiness to future generations.

Mauni Amavasya 2024

Amavasya is an auspicious day in a month. But there’s more significance in Mauni Amavasya. It comes once in a year. Mauni Amavasya observes Mauna which means silence, and, on this day, the devotees do not open their mouths for speaking. Mauni Amavasya also has significance among the Hindus. For the year 2024-2025, Mauni Amavasya falls on January 28^th, 2025. In the Hindu Lunar calendar, the month is said to be Magha.

Devotees observe silence while sitting in their homes. The devotees who can visit temples and pilgrimages would go there and practice silence or Mauna.  One of the most common places of pilgrimage in India is the river Ganges. The followers come here, take blessings from Mother Ganga and they also get themselves wet here and think that they have purified their souls.

They would practice silence and would just take the name of God and Goddesses. Those who wish to get into the charitable tasks would choose this day. Often, not speaking and staying compassionate and spiritual will benefit your soul. This is a good way to purify yourself.

Pitra Visarjan Amavasya 2024

In Hindus, the forefathers and the ancestors play a crucial role. Hindu families think that there’s a spiritual relationship between the ancestors and the current and future generations. One should seek the blessings of the ancestors. Pitra Visarjan Amavasya is also called Pitru Amavasya. As discussed above, it falls in Ashwin month. To liberate Pitra or ancestors and to stay away from problems, Pitra Visarjan Amavasya is the day chosen to do many good deeds. As per the English calendar, the date falls on 2^nd October 2024.

We live in the current world and perform karmas which are good or bad for us. But, our forefathers have done a lot for us and we are here in this world only because of them. On the special day of Pitra Visarjan Amavasya, one should praise the Lord and also our forefathers. It’s a great way to remember them and bring peace and prosperity into life.

Shani Amavasya 2025

In Hindu culture, there’s a very good relevance for Shani Dev. He is said to be the Lord of Karma. Shani Amavasya is observed to seek blessings from Lord Shani. The devotees want to impress Shani God and for that, they chant mantras and follow some rituals.

They light oil lamps and pray to the Almighty to remove the hurdles from their lives. They also donate money and things to poor people, as it is one of the ways to remove hassles from one’s life and also send a positive message to the God Shani. For the year 2024-2025, Shani Amavasya will fall on 28^th March 2025.

Shani God is a deity and he is also named after one of the planets. If you happen to be a devotee to Shani God, you can remove a lot of negativities and hurdles from your life.

Conclusion: So, with the above, we conclude that Amavasya comes once a month. Thus in a year, you will experience almost 12 Amavasya days. Among these days, you will come across some special Amavasya days like Bheemana Amavasya, Pitru Amavasya, Shani and Mauna Amavasya. These days mark special importance as you can take up spiritual activities. 

What is Amavasya associated with?

Amavasya is related to Moksha or salvation. This is an excellent day to begin your spiritual journey. It’s perfect for getting the interior cleaning process started. 

Though there’s nothing to look for outside, which is why there’s no moon today. All we have to do now is clear the dust of ignorance from our minds and sense the presence of the Supreme Truth inside us.

Shiva is related to this day since he is the one who forces our forcibly closed inner self to expose us to the light of truth.

What must be done on Amavasya?

1. Giving water and food to forefathers and ancestors in memory is called the Shradh ceremony.
2. Various people observe a partial fast (Upvas) or a total fast on the day in some areas.
3. Full silence – some devotees observe the day in complete silence. Silence should not be imposed. Internal silence is also necessary. When the mind is continually bickering and wandering, there’s no purpose in not talking.

Superstitions associated with the month of Amavasya

Amavasya is widely regarded as the best day for practising black magic and bad deeds, thanks to popular Indian films. Because there is no moon on this night, it is completely dark, which is suitable for invoking demonic energies.

There are several legends about ghosts, rakshasas, and goblins appearing on this night.

During this time, it is also believed that the souls of wandering live beings become more active.

It was once advised against travelling on this night. The reasoning is that there is no moonlight, which might result in a great deal of difficulty and danger.

Many astrologers advise avoiding holding any big ceremonies on this day because the moon and other important Hindu planets are not visible. On this day, individuals in some areas undertake particular auspicious deeds. However, there are few new beginnings or noteworthy rituals on this day.

In many areas, trees are not cut on the day of the event. Carpenters in some areas do not work on weekdays.

The transition from Amavasya to Purnima (full moon) is symbolic of gradual enlightenment and transcendence into fullness. From obscurity to increasing recognition of the Supreme Soul.

FAQs:

1. What is Amavasya?

Ans- Amavasya is the Sanskrit name for the days when there is no moon day. It is a day set apart by haziness, representing the potential chance to address inner darkness and cynicism through continuous practices and self-reflection.

2. For what reason is Amavasya viewed as huge in Hindu culture?

Ans- Amavasya is viewed as a period, that permits an individual to accomplish heavenly, self-presentation, self-thoughtfulness, and perform strict customs. It is accepted to be a promising period for purifying the brain, soul, and much more.

3. How does Amavasya influence otherworldly practices?

Ans- Amavasya is great for practices because the shortfall of the moon's light represents a chance to dig profoundly into one's internal identity, eliminate cynicism, and perform customs or supplications with uplifted concentration and dedication.

4. What are the particular customs performed on Amavasya?

Ans- Ceremonies fluctuate by custom and locale yet ordinarily incorporate fasting, performing pujas, discussing songs, and participating in magnanimous exercises. Certain individuals likewise lead tribal ceremonies and look for favours for individual and familial prosperity.

5. When is Bheemana Amavasya, and what is its importance?

Ans- Bheemana Amavasya is observed majorly in Karnataka and falls on August 3, 2024. It is devoted to God Shiva and Goddess Parvati, with ladies observing fasts for their spouse's success and prosperity. The day includes ceremonies, banquets, and festivities.

6. How is Pitru Amavasya not the same as other Amavasya days?

Ans- Pitru Amavasya, or Mahalaya Amavasya, falls on October 2, 2024. It is devoted to respecting progenitors through customs like Pind Daan and offering appreciation to ancestors, intending to carry gifts and harmony to both the living and the withdrew.

7. What is Mauni Amavasya, and when is it noticed?

Ans- Mauni Amavasya falls on January 28, 2025. On this day, lovers practice quiet (Mauna) and participate in otherworldly exercises, frequently visiting blessed places like the Ganges Waterway for refinement and reflection.

8. What is Shani Amavasya, and how could it be commended?

Ans- Shani Amavasya is committed to Master Shani, the divinity related to karma. Couples perform ceremonies to look for alleviation from difficulties and eliminate obstructions from their lives. This frequently incorporates reciting mantras, lighting lights, and making charitable gifts.

9. How frequently does Amavasya happen, and how might I track its dates?

Ans- Amavasya happens once per month as per the Hindu lunar schedule. The dates differ every month. For instance, in July 2024, Amavasya was on the fifth, while in August 2024, it is on the third. You can take a look at lunar schedules and cross-check for precise dates.

10. What should I consider when planning activities for Amavasya?

Ans- You have to take care very precisely before observing an Amavasya to understand whether it is a general Amavasya or a Special Amavasya. 

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