Kojagari Lakshmi Puja

Sharad Purnima
Lakshmi worshipped on Sharad Purnima.
Official name	Lakshmi Puja
Also called	Kojagiri Purnima, Kumar Purnima, Kojagori Laxmi Puja
Observed by	Hindus
Type	Hindu, Indian
Begins	Full moon day of month Ashvin
Date	Ashvin full moon
2016 date	15 October
Frequency	annual
Related to	Lakshmi, Moon

The Sharad Purnima or Kojagari Purnima or Kuanr Purnima is a harvest festival celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashvin (September–October). It marks the end of monsoon. There is a traditional celebration of the moon and is also called the 'Kaumudi celebration', Kaumudi meaning moonlight. This celebrates Krishna dancing with the Gopi's

At night, goddess Lakshmi is worshiped and night vigil is observed. According to a folk-tale, once a king fell on evil days, and was in great financial straits, but then his queen observed this fast and night vigil, and worshiped the goddess of wealth, Laxmi. Consequently, they were blessed by the goddess and they regained their prosperity. At night worship offered to Goddess lakshmi as well as Lord Indra.

It is also believed that on this day as moon and the earth are very close to each other, the moon rays have certain healing properties of nourishing the body and the soul.

Some people believe that on this night Laxmi goes around visiting people, and shows her pleasure on those she finds awake. Hence, the night is spent in festivity and various games of amusement, in honour of the goddess. So people sit in the moonlight singing songs, or keep themselves entertained in some other way. They fast from solid food and take only fluids like coconut water or milk. Milk is boiled until it thickens, and milk masala (called kheer, a readymade combination of dry fruits) is added to it and drunk. There is also a tradition to have cool milk and rice flakes on this night.

It is a harvest festival and is celebrated throughout the country, particularly by Maharashtrians, i.e., by people residing in the state of Maharashtra in India and is similarly celebrated by other Marathi's (People with Marathi mother tongue) in India and abroad. The eldest child of the family is also honored on this day.

In the western state of Gujarat, the night is known as Sharad Poonam. In Gujarat people celebrate it by doing Garba and Dandiya Raas.