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SCIENTIFIC BELIEF - It is believed that on this day moon comes closest to the Earth. Moonlight is magnificent and unique on this day. On the night of Sharad Poornima as the moon is considered to be close its moonlight has several curative properties. This is one big reason why people spend their night under moonlight.
Sharad Poornima is celebrated on the full moon night in the month of Ashwin according to the Hindu calendar (11th October 2011). It is celebrated in various parts of India in various forms, and heralds the beginning of the autumn harvest season. Some of the rituals and festivals associated with Sharad Poornima are:
RELIGIOUS BELIEFOn this night, Lord Krishna invited his faithful devotees, the Gopis of Vrundavan, to play the Maha Raas (traditional folk-dance) with him. They had earned his grace by overlooking society's disdain on them ('loklaaj'), to offer him unalloyed devotion.
When they left their homes in Vraj and arrived in Vrundavan, Shri Krishna welcomed them. Yet to further test their love for him, he averred: 'Women of character such as you, should not leave home to meet another man in the middle of the night!'
These words seared the Gopis' hearts. In extreme grief, they uttered:
'Our feet will not budge the slightest from your lotus-feet. So how can we return to Vraj?'
Pleased with such immutable love for him, Shri Krishna initiated the Maha Raas, by assuming as many forms as there were Gopis. At this point, they beamed with pride that, 'Nobody's devotion can excel ours, by which the Lord favored us.' Instead of accepting the Maha Raas as the Lord's grace, ego marred their devotion. Therefore he instantly vanished from the Raas mandal!
Now filled with remorse, the Gopis repented. Recalling Shri Krishna's divine episodes - 'lila', they lamented their pangs of separation, and sang kirtans known as 'viraha geet':
'Jayati te-dhikam janmanaa vrajaha '.. (Shrimad Bhagvat 10/31/1)
Describing the 'lila' in the Bhagvat (10/30/25), Shukdevji narrates to king Parikshit:
'O Parikshit! Of all nights, that night of Sharad Punam became the most resplendent. With the Gopis, Shri Krishna roamed the banks of the Yamuna, as if imprisoning everyone in his lila!'
Also known as 'Kojaagari Punam,' the festival is celebrated on Aso sud 15 - Purnima. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth moves around in the night sky, asking 'Ko jaagarti' searching for people below who are awake. In Sanskrit, 'Ko jaagarti' means, ' Who is awake?' And to those who are awake she gifts wealth.
The Sanatkumar Samhita cites the story of 'Kojaagari Punam.' In the Samhita Vaalkhil rishi narrates that in ancient times, a poor Brahmin named Valit lived in Magadhdesh - Bengal. While he was a learned and virtuous man, his wife revelled in quarelling, behaving totally opposite to his wishes. Once on his father's 'Shraddh' - day of paying homage to the deceased- she flung the 'pind' - ball of wheatflour - in a sewage pit, rather than the sacred Ganga, as custom required. This infuriated Valit. Therefore he renounced home to search for wealth. In the forests, he met 'Naagkanyas' - girls of Kaliya Naag's ancestry. These Naagkanyas had performed the 'Kojaagari Vrat' - staying awake on Aso sud Punam. They then sat gambling with Valit. The night happened to be Aso sud Punam. Valit lost everything. At that moment, Lord Vishnu and consort Lakshmi, happened to pass by. Since Valit had incidentally observed the 'Kojaagari vrat', Lakshmi graced him handsomeness similar to that of 'Kamdeva' - the deity of love. Now attracted to him, the Naagkanyas married Valit and gifted him their riches. He then returned home with the riches, whence his wife received him warmly. After this episode, the Samhita declared that those who remain awake on this Punam will be graced with wealth.
The full moon on the occasion of Sharad Poornima is said to have great healing and health-giving powers. A traditional way of receiving these powers is to cook an offering of some flat-rice in milk, add some dry-fruits (almonds, raisins etc.) and then expose this kheer to the rays of the moon. The moon is said to provide special spiritual energy on this night to those who eat this offering as prasad.
AMRIT VARSHA - It is said that Sharad Poornima is a day to get blessings from Moon God. People in different part of country celebrate it in different ways. Some people prepare Kheer (a dish made of rice-milk-sugar and dryfruits) and keep it under moonlight in order to get the nectar (Amrit). It is believed that moon's rays contain nourishing elements so it is taken as a prasad of the God of Moon.
ref :
http://www.totalbhakti.com/otherpages/sharad-poornima-2011.php
http://in.ygoy.com/2010/09/13/sharad-purnima-2010-is-on-22nd-october/
http://blog.eaglespace.com/sharad-poornima/
http://www.swaminarayan.org/festivals/sharadpurnima/
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