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In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna described the month of ‘Mrigashirsha’ as one of His manifestations.
‘Dhanur Maasa’ or ‘Margazhi’ (December 16, 2015 to January 14, 2016 but the dates vary between almanacs), derives its name from the star ‘Mrigashirsha’ and is considered a very auspicious month for religious services. During this month, the Sun transits through Sagittarius, the house of Jupiter and ends with ‘Makara Sankranti.’
Auspicious time
One-and-half hours before sunrise is called ‘Brahma Muhurta,’ an auspicious time for worshipping Lord Vishnu. Even the celestials perform special prayers to the Lord. This time starts with ‘Mrigashirsha Shukla Ekadasi’ and ends at ‘Dakshinaayana.’
The birth of Margazhi is the time when Mrigashirsha combines with ‘Poornima Thithi.’
It is sacred from all aspects and accrues prosperity to many people.
Ekadasi during this period is considered highly auspicious.
‘Vaikunta Ekadasi,’ which occurs during the waning phase of the Moon in ‘Danur Masam’ attracts thousands of devotees in South India, with Temples conducting special Poojas.
Religious connotation
According to Hinduism, once, on the eve of ‘Dakshinaayana,’ the celestials assembled at the peak of Mountain Meru and prayed to ‘Upendra,’ a form of Lord Vishnu.
When the Lord appeared, the celestials told Him that their ‘Night’ was approaching and hence sought His permission to go to their respective abodes.
Then, ‘Ratri Devi,’ the Patron Deity of night and ‘Dakshinaayana,’ took the form of a beautiful damsel and prostrated before the Lord. She pleaded with Him saying, “Lord, everybody views Dakshinaayana as a bad time and do not perform good deeds. I am universally reviled. I will undertake penance to obtain your Grace. If I do not achieve my goal, I will end this life of infamy.”
The assembled celestials pleaded her case to the Lord.
Divine Blessing
The merciful Lord took pity on her and blessed her as follows: “Ratri Devi, your duration consists of three seasons of two months each. Out of these, the first two seasons shall be deemed dear to me. Within these two seasons consisting of four months, there shall be a hierarchy in which ‘Kartika’ shall be the dearest, followed by ‘Ashwini,’ ‘Bhadrapada’ and finally ‘Shravana.’ All pious and meritorious acts performed in these four months shall yield immense benefits. Due to this, people will now look forward to this time of the year, thus removing the stigma 
attached to you.”
The following is an extract from the Hindu Blog:
The Tamil Margazhi Month is one of Bhakti and Music.
In 2015, Margazhi begins on December 16 and ends on January 14, 2016. The importance of this month was announced by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita, saying, “Maasanam Margasheershoham – among the twelve months, I am Margazhi.”
Rendering Tiruppavai and Tiruvembavai, religious discourses and music festivals are the major highlights during the period.
Chanting of the Tiruppavai of Andal is the most important event in the month.
Tiruppavai consists of 30 verses and a verse is chanted on each day of Margazhi. Another highlight is the drawing of ‘Kolam’ (‘Rangoli’) daily in front of houses.
The most important festivals celebrated during this month are ‘Vaikunta Ekadasi,’ ‘Hanuman Jayanthi’ and ‘Arudara Darshan.’
The month also marks the end of the pilgrimage season in Sabarimala.
Margazhi has great significance in the Srirangam Sri Ranganatha Temple. Apart from Vaikunta Ekadasi, the Temple witnesses chanting of ‘Tiruvaimozhi,’ (hymns) day and night; these are respectively known as ‘Pagal Pathu’ and ‘Rapathu.’
Margazhi is also the time of the winter solstice in Northern Hemisphere, when the days are shorter and the nights are longer.
Editor’s Note: There is substantial interest on Hinduism and its beliefs among a growing number of New Zealanders of all ethnicities. We hope that articles such as the above will help our readers understand the significance of various observances among Hindus. Indian Newslink will publish, from time to time, similar articles of interest relating to other religions and faiths.
