Purattasi Month – Significance, Rituals & Festivals

 

Calendar Placement

• Tamil Calendar: 6th month
• Gregorian Equivalent (2025): September 17 – October 16
• Zodiac Transition: Sun enters Kanya Rasi (Virgo)

Spiritual Significance

• Believed to mark the descent of Lord Venkateswara to Earth to protect devotees during Kali Yuga
• Considered ideal for cleansing karma, seeking divine protection, and offering gratitude
• Saturdays (Purattasi Sani) are especially sacred for Venkateswara worship, often observed with fasting and special pujas

Key Rituals

Ritual	Description
Purattasi Sani Vratam	Fasting and prayers on Saturdays to Lord Venkateswara; devotees chant “Govinda” and light Maavilakku (rice flour lamps)
Mahalaya Amavasya	Ancestral rites (Tarpanam) performed during Mahalaya Paksha, the waning moon phase
Maavilakku Puja	Lighting lamps made of rice flour and ghee at home or temples to invoke divine blessings
Navaratri	Begins after Mahalaya Amavasya; nine nights of worship for Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati

Festivals in Purattasi Month

Festival	Date (2025)	Highlights
Purattasi Sani (1st Saturday)	September 20	Most auspicious day for Venkateswara worship
Mahalaya Amavasya	September 29	Tarpanam for ancestors; peak of Mahalaya Paksha
Navaratri Begins	September 30	Nine nights of Devi worship
Saraswati Puja & Ayudha Puja	October 8	Worship of knowledge and tools
Vijayadasami	October 9	Victory of good over evil; ideal for new beginnings

Cultural & Health Insights

• Devotees follow a strict vegetarian diet, avoiding spicy and oily foods to aid digestion during seasonal change
• Lighting Maavilakku is believed to purify the home environment—scientifically, the ghee and rice flour mixture emits beneficial carbon
• Visiting Anjaneya temples on Saturdays is believed to reduce planetary afflictions like Sade Sati