Today is "Angarika Chaturthi".... an important day for devotees of Lord Ganpati. hence I thought of writing something about this Angarika chaturthi or Angaraki Chaturth (अंगारिका चतुर्थी) is a Sankashti Chaturthi falling on Tuesday. It is considered highly auspicious among all Sankashti Chaturthi days.
Sankashti Chaturthi (संकष्टी चतुर्थी) also known as Sankata Hara Chaturthi is an auspicious day dedicated to Lord Ganesha. This day is celebrated in every Lunar month or Hindu calendar month on the fourth day of Krishna Paksha (dark lunar phase or the waning phase)
Sankashti Chaturthi fast is mostly observed in Western and Southern India especially in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
History
According to Hindu mythology, Angarak the son of Mother Earth and Bharadwaj Rishi, was an accomplished rishi and a great devotee of Lord Ganesha. He worshipped Lord Ganesha and sought his blessings. On Magh Krishna Chaturthi (the day was Tuesday), Lord Ganesha blessed him and asked him for a wish. Angarak expressed that his only wish was to be associated with Lord Ganesha’s name for forever. The Lord granted his wish and proclaimed that whoever worships Lord Ganesha on Angarika Chaturthi will be granted all that he/ she prays for. From that day onwards, Magh Krishna Chaturthi came to be known as Angarak Chaturthi.
Details
On the day of Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi, the devotees observe strict fast from morning till evening. They break the fast at night after having darshan/auspicious sight of the moon preceded by prayers and pooja of Lord Ganesha. The Angarki Chaturthi (angarak in Sanskrit means red like burning coal ambers) Devotees believe their wishes would be fulfilled if they pray on this auspicious day. The fast of Sankashti Chaturthi is generally started from the day "Angarki Sankashti Chaturthi". Also Angarki Sankashti means deliverance during troubled times, hence observing this fast is believed to reduce your problems as Lord Ganesha symbolizes the remover of all obstacles and supreme lord of intelligence. Before moonlight the Ganapati Atharvashesha is recited to summon the blessings of Lord Ganesha.
It is believed that Lord Ganesh bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees during Ganesha festival. It is the day Shiva declared his son Ganesha as superior to all the gods, barring Vishnu, Lakshmi, Shiva and Parvati. Ganesh is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel. It is believed that benefit obtained by performing ‘Angarika Vinayaki’ and ‘Angarika Sankashti’ is equivalent to a series of vinayaki’s and sankashti’s performed in a year.
On Angarika Chaturthi, many Ganesh devotees visit Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple, for darshan of their beloved god. On this day around 10 – 12 lakh or even more devotees visit Siddhivinayak Temple where special Ganesh Pooja Rituals and Abhishekam is done.
Significance
The chaturthi which falls on a Tuesday is called Angaraki. Angar means the planet Mars (Mangal) or earth(bhumi). Ganesh is the presiding deity of Mars just as He is of the earth. Ganesh and Mars, both have the same complexion.On the day of Angaraki, the Ganesh frequencies reach the earthin greater quantities and those from the Mars too reach the earth. Consequently, most of the frequencies emitted from the moon are destroyed. Hence the benefit obtained by performing 'angarika vinayaki' and 'angarika sankashti' is equivalent to that obtained by performing all the vinayakis and sankashtis respectively, throughout the year.
FAST
Angaraki unlike other vowed religious observances (vrat) is not performed throughout the day and night. It is an observance lasting for five prahars (one prahar is a period of about three hours), four during the day and one at night. According to the ritual, a meal should be taken at moonrise. Thus that meal becomes a part of the ritual and is not partaken to conclude the fast
Though Sankashti Vrat demands complete fasting from morning to the sighting of the moon, some people prefer observing a partial fast.
Angarika Chaturthi 2013 Dates
Angarika Chaturthi is arriving three times in this year. Angarika Chaturthi 2013 Dates are
1st January 2013.
28th May 2013.
22nd October 2013.
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