Chitra Pournami at Kancheepuram Chitragupta Temple.. Every new moon, there are special worship practices followed in the Kancheepuram temple. The major festival celebrated in the temple in Chitra Pournami during April. Chitragupta is considered the Adidevata for Ketu, the ninth planet of Hindu astrology.
Chitragupta temple is a Hindu temple located in Nellukara Street, Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the rare temples of the Hindu deity Chitragupta, considered to be the assistant of Yama, the Hindu god of death. Chitragupta is believed to have emerged from a painting and set as the accountant of good and bad deeds of human beings by Brahma. The temple has a three-tiered Rajagopuram (gateway tower) and a single precinct around the sanctum.
The major festival celebrated in the temple is Chitra Pournami during April. The temple is one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the city. grand puja is done here during Chitra Pournami. Chitra Pournami is an Indian festival celebrated by Hindus throughout India. It is observed on the day of the full moon in the month of Chithirai which falls on April or May. The festival is dedicated to Lord Chitragupta, a divine accountant, who is recording the good and bad deeds done by the people and reporting their life accounts to his master Lord Yama, the death god. Chitragupta would forgive the sins of his sincere devotees, and puja is performed on Chitra Pournami by his devotees. On the Chitra Pournami festival day, many devotees would observe fasting visiting his temples, and bath in the holy rivers in order to cleanse their sins.
CHITRAGUPTA MANTRA
“Om Chitraguptaya Namaha”
‘Om’ is an eternal, universal sound, the Brahman and it denotes the supreme spirit, also called as almighty.
Chitraguptaya means the noble deity formed from the picture drawn by Mata Parvati.
‘Namaha’ means our humble prayers offered to the almighty.
“JAI SRI CHITRAGUPT MAHARAJ KI JAI”
WRITTEN BY
R. HARISHANKAR