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	== Festive Amavasya ==		== Festive Amavasya ==
	* ''[[Lakshmi Puja]]'' (30 ''[[Ashvin]]'' or 15 ''[[Paksha\|Krishna Paksha]] [[~~Ashvin~~]]''; the Diwali after [[Naraka Chaturdashi]]): ''Lakshmi Puja'' marks the most important day of Diwali celebrations in North India. Hindu homes worship [[Lakshmi]], the goddess of wealth, and [[Ganesh]], the God of auspicious beginnings also known as the remover of obstacles, and then light ''deeyas'' (little clay pots) in the streets and homes to welcome prosperity and well-being.		* ''[[Lakshmi Puja]]'' (30 ''[[Ashvin]]'' or 15 ''[[Paksha\|Krishna Paksha]] [[Kartik (month)\|Kartik]]''; the Diwali after [[Naraka Chaturdashi]]): ''Lakshmi Puja'' marks the most important day of Diwali celebrations in North India. Hindu homes worship [[Lakshmi]], the goddess of wealth, and [[Ganesh]], the God of auspicious beginnings also known as the remover of obstacles, and then light ''deeyas'' (little clay pots) in the streets and homes to welcome prosperity and well-being.

	==Tradition and Belief==		==Tradition and Belief==

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'''Amāvásyā''' ({{Lang-sa|अमावस्या}}) is the lunar phase of the No moon in [[Sanskrit]].
Indian calendars use 30 lunar phases, called [[tithi]] in India.<ref>Most, Glenn W. Hesiod Volume 1: Theogony. Works and Days. Testimonia. Loeb Classical Library 57, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2006.</ref><ref>Kolev, Rumen. ''The Babylonian Astrolabe''. State Archives of Assyria Studies, Volume XXII, 2013.</ref> The dark moon tithi is when the Moon is within the 12 degrees of angular distance between the Sun and Moon before conjunction ([[syzygy (astronomy)|syzygy]]).<ref>Cole, Freedom. ''Amāvásya and Pratipad''. Jyotish Digest, Vol XI, Issue II, April-Sep 2014</ref> The New Moon tithi (called [[Prathama (day)|Pratipada or Prathama]]) is the 12 angular degrees after syzygy. Amāvásyā is often translated as new moon since there is no standard term for the Moon before conjunction in English.
[[File:Amavasya and Prathama tithi.jpg|thumb|Amavasya and Prathama tithi]]
<br />

==Meaning of Amāvásyā==
In Sanskrit, "amā" means "together" and "vásya" means "to dwell" or "cohabit". It also means "na" +"ma"+"asya" meaning to "na" = "No, "ma"=Moon, "Asya"="There" in turn meaning to There is no Moon i.e., Moon is not visible.

In the ''pūrṇimānta māna'' [[Hindu calendar|Hindu lunar calendar]] used in most parts of the [[Indian subcontinent]], the lunar month starts on the day following the [[full moon]] or ''[[purnima (day)|purnima]]'' and therefore Amāvásyā always falls in the middle of the month. However, in the ''[[Hindu calendar#Another kind of lunisolar calendar|amānta māna]]'' calendar used in some places, the lunar month starts on the day of the [[new moon]], making Amāvásyā the last day of the lunar month in those places. Many festivals, the most famous being ''[[Diwali]]'' (the festival of lights), are observed on Amāvásyā. Many Hindus fast on Amāvásyā.

Few [[Pancha-Gauda]] [[Brahmin]]s have month from next day of [[Purnima (day)]] to Purnima (day), that is Purnima is last 29/30 days (Purnimanta). Pancha-Dravida have month from next day of Amavasya to Amavasya . Amavasya is last 29/30 days (Amanta)[https://web.archive.org/web/20140316182832/http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/god-and-i/paush-amavasya-january-11-2013%26sort%3Dold]. Śhukla [[paksha]] is called as the bright half as the Moon changes from New Moon to Full Moon while in Krishna [[paksha]] it changes from Full Moon to New Moon. Hence it is seen that same Amavasya has same festival all over the country. [[Ujjain]], [[Allahabad]], [[Orissa, India|Orissa]], [[Bihar]] [[Brahmin]]s are one few [[Pancha-Gauda]] [[Brahmin]]s have month from 1 day after [[Purnima (day)]] to Purnima (day)(Purnimanta), While the people of [[Karnataka]], [[Maharashtra]], [[Goa]], [[Gujarat]], [[Kerala]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]] the Pancha-Dravida have month from 1 day after Amavasya to Amavasya. Amavasya is last 29/30 days (Amanta). Since [[Kanchipuram]] Mutt where the [[Adi Shankara]] lived and all the Pancha-Gauda and Pancha-Dravida use to visit hence [[Tamil Nadu]] developed a mixture of [[Panchangam]] and saka calendar. Similarly the place where Pancha-Gauda and Pancha-Dravida are living together as [[Rajasthan]], [[Madhya Pradesh]], Southern [[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[Chhattisgarh]] also show the mixtures. Also the people following [[Jainism]] follow Pancha-Dravida calendar, Amavasya is last 29/30 days.[http://www.melbournejainsangh.org/activity-tithi-calendar/]{{Clarify|date=August 2014|reason=We get it. There are two different calendars, one where the months start after the full moon and the other where it starts after the new moon. Turn this incomprehensible paragraph into concise mention of which people/places observe which.}}

In old Indian culture and beliefs, irrespective of religions, Amavasya is considered a time of great power. In [[Tamil language|Tamil]], though Amavasai is commonly used in religious spheres, the pure Tamil scholars prefer the term ''Puthuppi Rai''<ref>[http://blog.eaglespace.com/amavasya/]</ref> Fast is observed to propitiate both the Sun and Moon Gods.<ref name="Chaturvedi2002">{{cite book|author=B. K. Chaturvedi|title=Garuda Purana|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hCFuxBfaIzQC&pg=PA82|access-date=13 November 2012|date=2002|publisher=Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd.|isbn=978-81-288-0155-6|pages=82–}}</ref> Except for the ''Karttika Amavasya'' (Amavasya of Diwali), the Amavasya is considered inauspicious.<ref name="Debroy">{{cite book|author=Bibek Debroy|author2=Dipavali Debroy|title=The Garuda Purana|year=1992|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bHm6nKenVK4C&pg=PA151|access-date=13 November 2012|publisher=[[Lulu.com]]|isbn=978-0-9793051-1-5|pages=151–}}</ref>

== Festive Amavasya ==
* ''[[Lakshmi Puja]]'' (30 ''[[Ashvin]]'' or 15 ''[[Paksha|Krishna Paksha]] [[Ashvin]]''; the Diwali after [[Naraka Chaturdashi]]): ''Lakshmi Puja'' marks the most important day of Diwali celebrations in North India. Hindu homes worship [[Lakshmi]], the goddess of wealth, and [[Ganesh]], the God of auspicious beginnings also known as the remover of obstacles, and then light ''deeyas'' (little clay pots) in the streets and homes to welcome prosperity and well-being.

==Tradition and Belief==

===Amavasya Somavati===
[[File:Somvati Amavasya Vrat (सोमवती अमावस्या व्रत ).jpg|thumb|Somvati Amavasya Vrat (सोमवती अमावस्या व्रत )]]
An Amavasya falling on Mondays has a special significance. It is believed that a fast on this particular Amavasya would ward off widow-hood in women and ensure bearing of progeny. It is also believed that all desires could be fulfilled if one fasts on this Amavasya.<ref name="Garg1992">{{cite book|author=Gaṅgā Rām Garg|title=Encyclopaedia of the Hindu World: Ak-Aq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WjDcd0cTFxQC&pg=PA370|access-date=13 November 2012|date=1992|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7022-375-7|pages=370–}}</ref>

===Worship of Forefathers ''(Pitra)''===
Every month, the Amāvāsyā day is considered auspicious for the worship of forefathers and [[puja (Hinduism)|pooja]]s are made. Religious people are not supposed to travel or work, and instead concentrate on the rites of Amavasyas, typically at home in the afternoon. Even today, traditional workers like masons do not work on Amavasya in India. However, they will work on Saturdays and Sundays. Even High Court judges of 18th century India used to observe Amavasya as a day off. It was the [[British Rule]] that brought the Christian Sunday-off principle to Indian industry.

On Amavasyas, ''Shraadh'' is done to forefathers by [[Brahmin]]s whose fathers have died. In modern times, a short 20-minute version of the ceremony is done—offering black sesame and water as oblation to departed souls. This oblation is offered to father, grandfather, great-grandfather, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. If one of these persons are still alive, their name is skipped and the corresponding earlier generation person is offered oblation. Then a final oblation is offered to those anonymous souls which died and have nobody in their lineage offering oblation. These oblations are believed to give birth to good children without mental or physical challenges.

The dark fortnight of [[Aswayuja]] (September–October) is known as the [[Pitru Paksha]] (Mahalaya), which is especially sacred for offering oblations to departed ancestors. The last day of this period, the dark moon day, called ''mahalaya Amavasya'', is considered the most important day in the year for performing obsequies and rites. The [[manes]] return to their abode on the evening of Deepavali. Due to the grace of the [[Yama (Hinduism)|Yama]], it has been ordained that offerings made during this period benefit all the departed souls, whether they are connected to you or not.

===Rameshwaram===
In Tamil Nadu, lakhs of People will make special Tharpanam (Oblation) in Rameshwaram & other Holy Theerthas on Thai Amavasai, Aadi Amavasai, Mahalaya Amavasai. Thai Amavasai comes in the month of Jan-Feb and is the 1st Amavasai after Uttranayana Punya Kaalam (Northern Journey of Sun). Aadi Amavasai comes in the month of Jul-Aug and is the 1st Amavasai after Dakshinayanam Punya Kaalam (Southern Journey of Sun). Pitru Paksh Mahalaya Amavasai comes during Navratri <ref>{{cite web|last1=K|first1=Kandaswamy|title=Amavasya Date & Time This Year - Timings in IST|url=https://skanda-news.blogspot.com/2017/01/amavasya-time-date-amavasai-timings-when-is-amavasi.html|website=Live Trend|publisher=K Kandaswamy|access-date=23 November 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130225103303/http://www.kalnirnay.com/iphone/index.php Kalnirnay on iPhone]
* [http://www.melbournejainsangh.org/activity-tithi-calendar/ Tithi Calendar]
* [http://shrifreedom.org/vedic-astrology/amavasya-the-dark-moon/ A discussion of Amāvāsyā translation issues within Monier-Williams’ Sanskrit Dictionary]
* [https://www.astroved.com/astropedia/en/festivals/new-moon Amavasya]

{{Tithi}}

[[Category:Hindu astronomy]]
[[Category:Hindu calendar]]
[[Category:Hindu astrology]]
[[Category:Days of the Hindu calendar]]
[[Category:Observances held on the new moon]]

[[Category:Hindu festivals]]

Amavasya - Revision history

Charnkamal: adjust content for clarity based on references

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