Festival Today (January 13, 2025): Celebrate Shakambhari Purnima and Lohri to Set New Intentions – Times of India

Shakambhari Purnima or Pausha Purnima falls on 13th January 2025 and is followed by the colourful festival of Lohri. This merging of festivals is rooted in spiritual significance and the celebration of people’s happiness. Shakambhari Purnima is a festival for the goddess Shakambhari, the goddess of nourishment, and Lohri is the festival at the end of winter, symbolising warmth, prosperity, and togetherness. As the full Moon rises, the cycle’s energy is complete, and the night is ripe with the energy of thankfulness and new beginnings. It is a day that feeds the soul and strengthens family relations and people’s associations.
Importance of Shakambhari Purnima and Lohri
Shakambhari Purnima, which falls on the Pausha Purnima, is celebrated with great pride in Hindu culture and tradition. The day is thought to be when Goddess Shakambhari, an avatar of Goddess Durga, came down to earth to feed the world during a drought and famine. Her blessings are considered life-preserving to maintain the balance of the natural forces and make crops grow. This day is celebrated by people who want health, wealth and freedom from suffering, as the goddess is said to turn away scarcity and bring plenty into people’s lives.
At the same time, Lohri, which is mainly observed in the northern part of the country, is another festival that signifies the change in the duration of days and the onset of the harvest season. Lohri is all about thanking the Sun God for returning to our lives and bringing prosperity. People light fires on the streets, which signifies the removal of the problems and the coming of the light. It is a festival of warmth, music and sharing, which is a reunion of families to give thanks for the blessings received and to ask for a bountiful year ahead.
The occurrence of Shakambhari Purnima on the same day as Lohri only adds to the essence of prosperity, wellness, and unity. While Shakambhari Purnima is all about spiritual advancement and divine blessings, Lohri is all about earthly pleasure and richness. This bi-polar practice is a perfect harmony of worshipping the divine mother and thanking the cycles of nature that feed life.
Rituals and Practices
The rituals of Shakambhari Purnima start at dawn when devotees wake up to take a bath in rivers or any other holy water, which is symbolic of the purification of the body. It is said that taking a bath on the night of the full Moon washes away karma and brings grace.
Houses are washed, and flowers and lamps are placed at homes to make arrangements to pray and offer puja to Goddess Shakambhari. At the altar, fresh vegetables, fruits, and grains are placed, thus symbolizing her nourishing aspect and thankfulness to nature.
Recitation of Durga Saptashati or Shakambhari Stotra is also a regular part of the day’s prayer. People place lamps and sweets prepared from jaggery, sesame, and wheat and pray for prosperity and protection. In many temples, big banquets are arranged for community members, which is an important message that it is good to feed others as a way of worshipping the goddess. This day involves fasting, and after sunset, devotees partake in sattvic food, which is food prepared from fresh produce.
The essence of Lohri starts as the sun begins to set in the evening. People burn sesame seeds, jaggery, and grains on large bonfires in families and communities and sing folk songs. This represents thanking powers that be and the parts of nature. The brightness of the bonfire symbolises the driving away of evil, and the distribution of sweets is a sign of people rejoicing together in wealth. Lohri is celebrated with young children and newlyweds in particular, as these are people who bring happiness and luck into the family.
It is a good practice to celebrate two different festivals, Shakambhari Purnima and Lohri, together. On these festivals, people pray not only for their own welfare but also for the welfare of others and the world. This state of togetherness and thankfulness is the essence of the day’s activities.
Do’s and Don’ts
It is good to be humble and thankful on this day. People are encouraged to perform good and charitable deeds and respect the environment. The morning should start with prayers and some contemplation to help the person start the day with a correct spiritual attitude. Feeding the poor or donating useful items in society reduplicates the goddess’s energy as the provider, thus attracting blessings into one’s life.
Do not waste food or other resources because this day calls for conserving natural resources and thanksgiving. To honour the day, no gossiping, arguing, or using any other negative language should be encouraged during the day. People also think that if there is an unnecessary fight, then the flow of blessings and prosperity that comes with the celebration of Shakambhari Purnima and Lohri will be hampered.
Products like meat, alcohol, and heavily processed foods are prohibited or considered to be toxic. However, it is recommended to stick to fresh, sattvic food consumed during the day. Those who are fasting should remember their purpose and use it to purify the body rather than punish it.
Lohri is a festival that requires communal celebration in the evening. It is important that it is shared with family and friends. Avoiding overeating or other distractions is possible, and this helps one remain grounded in the spiritual aspect of the day.
Remedies for a Better Life
Lohri and Shakambhari Purnima are two occasions when remedies can be applied to bring more prosperity, health, and spiritual development. Drinking water at dawn after chanting the Gayatri Mantra brings energy and wards off evil. This basic but highly effective technique anchors individual energy to the universal energy of light and rebirth.
For the financially secure, offering fruits, vegetables, grains or dairy products to a temple or charity helps reflect the goddess’s nature and brings prosperity. Cooking a meal with the family and feeding the poor enhances the circulation of blessings in the compound.
For emotional healing and family balance, melt some ghee and put a diya at the entrance of your house in the evening. When the light is off and on, imagine it driving away misconceptions and bringing harmony into your surroundings. It is also a tradition that people write their personal goals or prayers on paper and then burn them in the fire of Lohri.
Plying birds, planting trees, or supporting farmers are acts of kindness in line with Shakambhari’s nature. By observing these remedies with good intentions, the devotees lay the groundwork for eternal prosperity and happiness as the fruits of this holy day endure in their lives.