Chandra Darshan 2020: Meaning, significance and how people celebrate this festival

Chandra Darshan is the celebration that happens when a person completes his 1000th full moon. This day is celebrated because the devotees consider it as a special occasion in a person’s life. A number of people follow this tradition as a custom in parts of India. The average time between similar lunar phases, the synodic happens to be around 29.53 days. This means that 1000 moons equal 29530 days = 80.849 years = approximately 80 years, 10 months according to the Western calendar. Usually, the celebration takes place 3 full moons before a person's 81st birthday which happens to be a part of the ritual and is referred to as Sahasra Chandra Darshan (सहस्र-(पूर्ण)चन्द्र-दर्शन) or Chandra Ratharohan. People also believe that the ritual helps by providing strength to the person up to the end of their life.

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What is Chandra Darshan and its significance

According to the Hindu scriptures, Chandra Dev or Lord Moon is considered to be one of the most respected deities. Moon is also a significant ‘graha’ or planet of the ‘Navgraha,’ which influences life on the Earth. Moon is popular to be a favourable planet and it is associated with wisdom, purity and mental health.  A huge number of followers think that a person with favourably placed Moon in the Horoscope might have better chances of having a more successful and prosperous life. Moon also plays a crucial role in Hinduism as it follows the lunar calendar. Chandra Dev or the Moon God is considered the nurturer of plant and animal life. According to the history, Chandra Dev or the Moon God is married to 27 Nakshatras, who are the daughters of King Daksh Prajapati. He is also considered to be the father of Lord Budha or Planet Mercury. Hindu devotees from all over the globe worship Moon God on the day of Chandra Darshan in order to get his blessings for success and good fortune.

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Chandra Darshan celebration

According to the traditional Hindu calendar, this day marks the time when the moon is sighted for the first time after Amavasya or no moon day which is why the devotees celebrate it as Chandra Darshan. On this day the devotees usually practice fasting for the entire day and breaking the fast after sighting the moon after sunset. As per astrology, Chandra Dev is a planet that represents softness, sensitivity, emotions and the mind. Chandra Dev is considered to be the lord of vegetation as it is considered that Devas drink Soma using the moon as a cup. As per Hindu legends, Chandra Dev used to ride across the entire sky every night on a chariot that was pulled by ten white horses. There are a lot of different stories associated with Chandra Dev but the ones that are associated with Ganesh Chaturthi, Rahu and Ketu and Somnath temple seem to be the most used stories.

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