Magha Amavasya

This Amavasya is celebrated in the honour of first creation as it is believed that the first man and woman were created on this day. The most important highlights of this day are observing a day-long silence and also taking a holy dip in the sacred rivers, which are believed to wash away all the sins and negative thoughts of the believers.

Unlike other kinds of vrats, Magha Amavasya is uniquely different. It advocates an altogether different kind of vrat. Real vrat or fasting is the control of all senses. The mind has to be silenced as well as controlled of its wanderings to get fixed with the inner self. This is the most efficacious vrat of all kinds of fasting.

On Magha Amavasya people take holy dip in the rivers and resort to peaceful places to meditate in silence for the whole day till sunset. It is said on this day, the Ganges water turns into Amrit. The other activities that a person can take up on this day include performing homas, giving donations and others. It is also said that taking a holy dip on this day can give the merits of performing a thousand Rajasuya Yajnas or an Aswamedha Yajna.

For holy bath, the spots where Amrit was dropped during the churning of ocean by gods and demons are considered highly auspicious. Mythology says it dropped in the spots of Kumbh Mela.

If a person has no access to the holy rivers specified, he can take bath in the river nearby since it is believed that on this day, every river become as holy as the Ganges. If bathing at home, he can chant the names of the seven holy rivers and sanctify the water with the touch of his palm before bathing. During bath and meditation, strict silence both of the mouth and the mind should be observed.

Stability of the mind is what one should strive for on this day. One should abstain from falsehood and giving away to pleasures focusing on his inner self.

It is highly auspicious to worship Lord Brahma on this day and chant Gayatri mantra. Giving donations of cow, clothes, bed, gold and other materials is highly auspicious on this day.

Other beneficial acts done on this day include pitru puja (ancestral worship), offering food to animals, crow and diseased people that shall confer immense merits. Offering Til oil to Shani dev on this day is highly beneficial.

It is said on the day of Magha Amavasya, Lord Brahma wished to rest amidst His creative activity. During that time when He reflected on what he had accomplished till then, two beings came from him one was Manu (the first man) and the other was Shatarup (the first woman). They started creating the human lineages from them.

The good activities, silent sitting and vrat observed on this day shall clean one’s mind and establish a connection with the inner self. Sins of several past births shall be washed away if charity, ancestral worship and Gayatri Jap are done on this day.