Holy Months and Festivals

Agastya Arghya is the offering of arghya to Agastya Maharshi and Lopāmudrā as Sūrya nears Kanyā rāśi, taught in the Agni Purāṇa.

The Cāturmāsya Vrata is kept through the four months of the devas' sleep, until Sūrya enters Vṛścika, as the Vāmana Purāṇa teaches it.

Devaśayana is the sleep of Bhagavān Vishṇu and the devas, from the Āshāḍha śukla ekādaśī through Śrāvaṇa, tithi by tithi, as the Vāmana Purāṇa gives it.

The vrata of offering lamps, which Agni calls greater than every other vrata, with the account of Lalitā and the fate of lamp thieves.

A five-night vrata of Bhagavān Vishṇu from Mārgaśīrsha śukla ekādaśī to pūrṇimā, taught by Sanaka to Nārada in the Nārada Purāṇa.

Kārtika, the eighth lunar month, is the most exalted month for the bhaktas of Bhagavān Vishṇu; its greatness is told in the Nārada and Skanda Purāṇas.

Māgha, the eleventh lunar month, is the highest month for the pre-dawn bath and for dāna; Kāshṭhīlā teaches its greatness to Queen Sandhyāvalī (Nārada Purāṇa).

Bhagavān Vishṇu-Kṛshṇa's own account of the glory of Mārgaśīrsha, his dearest month: the bath, tilaka, pūjā, Dāmodara mantra, Ekādaśī and Mathurā.

A year-long vrata on every full moon from Mārgaśīrsha to Kārtika: pūjā of Lakshmī-Nārāyaṇa, homa, arghya to the moon, and an udyāpana on Kārtika Paurṇimā.

Nāga Pañcamī is the vrata kept on Pañcamī to honour the nāgas, the serpent-beings of nāga-loka, as taught in the Bhavishya Purāṇa.

Pāñcajanya Pūjā is the pūjā of the conch of Bhagavān Vishṇu in Mārgaśīrsha, with its three mantras and the merit of bathing Bhagavān Vishṇu with conch water.

A five-night vrata of Bhagavān Vishṇu, also called Hari-Pañcaka, kept from ekādaśī to pūrṇimā of each śukla paksha and taught in the Nārada Purāṇa.

The Madanotsava of Caitra, when the Śivaliṅga is set in a golden swing and rocked, and the narrative of Kuśadhvaja that shows its puṇya.

The marriage of the Tulasī plant with Bhagavān Vishṇu in the month of Kārtika, with its vidhi, mantras, homa, farewell and phala, from the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa.

The caturdaśī of Kārtika śukla paksha, kept with the worship of Bhagavān Vishṇu and then Bhagavān Śiva, named by Śiva after Vishṇu's offering of his eye.

The glory of the month of Vaiśākha from the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa: the holy bath, gifts of water, special tithis and the narratives that show its power.

Yamadvitīyā, also Bhrātṛ Dvitīyā, is kept on dvitīyā of Kārtika śukla paksha, when a brother eats at his sister's house; it guards against untimely death.

Ṛtu Pūjā is the seasonal pūjā of Bhagavān Vishṇu on Dvādaśī, with the flower of each ṛtu, taught in the Varāha Purāṇa, Chapter 123.