Chitra Pournami is a unique Tamil festival observed on the full moon day in the month of Chitirai (April - May). The day is celebrated as the birthday of Chitragupta, the assistant of Lord Yama, the God of Death.
Chitragupta , assistant of Lord Yama, is the one who keeps record of the good and bad deeds of human beings on earth. After death, when one reaches the abode of yama, it is he who tallies the good and bad deeds and declares it to Yama.
There are various stories about the birth of Chitragupta. Yama found it difficult to keep track of the good and bad deeds committed by the humans and pleads with Lord Brahma to give him an assistant qho can keep track of this. Lord Brahma goes into deep meditation and at the end of his meditation finds a young man in front of him whth a pen in his hand and names him as chitragupta and assigns him as the assistant of Yama.
In another story chitragupta is depicted as human being given life by lord Shiva to a portrait drawn by devi Parvathi. Since he is emerged from a chitiram , he was named as Chitragupta.
It is also said that Indrani , Lord Indra's Consort, wanted to have a child and prayed to Lord Shiva, He inturn asked Citragupta to be born as the son of Indrani. He was so meticulous in keeping the accounts of everybody's destiny that chitragupta refuses to be born from the womb of Indrani as she is not destined to have children. Lord Shiva then sends Kamadenu , the celestial cow to Indra's abode and asks chitragupta to be born form the womb of Kamadenu.
Chitrapournami is celebrated as a big festival in many temples. On this day, special pooja are conducted at temples and people take bath in holy rivers and tample pond to was away the sins committed. Chitragupta temple at Kanchipuram is the only temple in South India for Chitragupta. Thirukoteeswarar temple at Thirukodikaval , situated onn the Kumbakonam - Mayiladuthurai routes , has seperate shrines for Chitragupta and Yama.
Legend :
There is a legend associated with Chitra pournami involving Lord Indira , the King of Gods, and his Guru Brihaspathi. Lord Indra and Brihaspathi once had an argument . As Indra failed to respect guru , he stopped advising Indra who started committing sins in the absence of Guru. Days passed and Brihaspathi returned to his duty. He advised Indra for a pligrmage to the earth to lessen the burden of sins. During the pilgrimage, Indra realized that he had redeemed from the sins. He found a Shivalingam under a Kadamba tree and belived that Lord shiva has helped him in relieving his sins. Following this, he started worshipping him. He worshipped Lord Shiva with a golden lotus which he found from a nearby pond. This was believed to be happened on a chitra pournami day and the place was Madurai. Devandra pooja is held during chitra pournami day in Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple, commemorating the event.
There is a legend associated with Chitra pournami involving Lord Indira , the King of Gods, and his Guru Brihaspathi. Lord Indra and Brihaspathi once had an argument . As Indra failed to respect guru , he stopped advising Indra who started committing sins in the absence of Guru. Days passed and Brihaspathi returned to his duty. He advised Indra for a pligrmage to the earth to lessen the burden of sins. During the pilgrimage, Indra realized that he had redeemed from the sins. He found a Shivalingam under a Kadamba tree and belived that Lord shiva has helped him in relieving his sins. Following this, he started worshipping him. He worshipped Lord Shiva with a golden lotus which he found from a nearby pond. This was believed to be happened on a chitra pournami day and the place was Madurai. Devandra pooja is held during chitra pournami day in Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple, commemorating the event.
The Mangala devi Temple located at Kumily in Idukki , kerala also celebrates this festival. This temple is dedicated to Kannaki Amman. This temple remains closed for the entire year except for the Chitra Pournami.
