Devotees Celebrate Kartik Poornima and Anna Abhishekam Across India
At Matunga Asthika Samaj, home to an idol of Lord Karthikeya, son of Lord Shiva and Parvathi, devotees gathered early in the morning for darshan. The day commemorates Lord Shiva's victory over the demon Tripurasura.
Hindus observed Kartik Poornima and Anna Abhishekam on November 5. Kartik Poornima, celebrated on the full moon day of the lunar month Kartika, usually falls in November or December. It is also known as Tripurari Purnima or Deva-Deepavali, the God's festival of lights.
Devotees pray to Lord Karthikeya for blessings during this auspicious day. Peacock feathers, symbolizing Lord Karthikeya’s vehicle, are used in the rituals.
Anna Abhishekam at Sri Sankara Mattham
The Sri Sankara Mattham temple in Matunga performed the Anna Abhishekam ritual by covering the deity with cooked rice. This sacred ceremony occurs on the full moon day of the Tamil month Aippasi, typically mid-October.
The sanctum sanctorum and the deity were decorated with cooked rice and vegetables. After the deeparadhana prayers, the rice and vegetables are distributed as prasad to the devotees.
"The rice and the vegetables are distributed as prasad to the devotees after deeparadhana prayers."
Author’s summary: Kartik Poornima and Anna Abhishekam are deeply revered Hindu rituals celebrated with devotion, symbolizing divine blessings and communal harmony.