नित्यानन्दकरी वराभयकरी सौन्दर्य रत्नाकरी
निर्धूताखिल घोर पावनकरी प्रत्यक्ष माहेश्वरी ।
प्रालेयाचल वंश पावनकरी काशीपुराधीश्वरी
भिक्षां देहि कृपावलम्बनकरी मातान्नपूर्णेश्वरी
O! Maa Annapoorneshwari! renderer of the support of compassion, the bestower of eternal happiness, the donor of gifts and protection, the ocean of beauty, the destroyer of all sins and purifier, the great goddess, the purifier of the family of Himavan, and the great deity of Kasi, grant us alms.
Bharat is a land that celebrates everything and everyone in the creation. Our Puranas ensured the significance of being grateful for everything that we possess and not possess. The celestial drama surrounding the importance of sustenance & nourishment culminates in the joyous observance of Annapoorna Jayanti, celebrated each year on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Margashirsha. Agrahayana or Margashirsha is the ninth month of the Hindu lunar calendar and the name of the month is derived from the position of the Moon near the Mrigashīrsha nakshatra (star) on the full moon day. This day honors the embodiment of nourishment, Goddess Annapoorna, a compassionate manifestation of Parvati. Her very name, derived from ‘Anna’ (food) and ‘Poorna’ (full or complete), defines her role as the divine provider.
The story begins with a playful, yet consequential, game of dice between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Fueled by excitement, their friendly wager escalated until Shiva, repeatedly losing, eventually gambled away every possession, even his symbolic trident and the serpent that adorned him. Humiliated and destitute, Shiva sought the counsel of Lord Vishnu. Following Vishnu’s advice, Shiva returned to the game and, to Parvati’s astonishment, won everything back.
Suspicion turned into accusation. Parvati, disbelieving her husband’s sudden reversal of fortune, called him a cheat. The ensuing argument prompted Vishnu to reveal that the course of the game was a matter of divine will, an illusion (maya), orchestrating their moves. Shiva seized upon this revelation, dismissing all worldly possessions, including the very food that sustains life, as mere maya. This assertion deeply angered Parvati. To her, equating food with illusion was to dismiss her divine presence. To demonstrate the fundamental error in his cosmic view, the Goddess vanished from the world, adopting her form as Annapoorna.
Her disappearance brought about an immediate and catastrophic change. Nature itself came to a standstill: the seasons ceased, the land grew barren, and a devastating famine swept across the universe. Gods, demons, and humans alike suffered crippling hunger, their desperate prayers echoing through the void.
Seeing her own children suffer, compassion welled up in the heart of Parvati and she came to the earth, in Varanasi (Kashi), and set up a kitchen where she served all those who came to her for nourishment. Seeing this, Shiva took the form of a mendicant and went to her asking for alms. Parvati recognised Shiva and was happy to see her Lord. Lord Shiva finally grasped the depth of his error—that the physical body and the spirit it housed required nourishment, and that without Shakti (the feminine power, Parvati), he was incomplete. Humbled, he appeared before Annapoorna with a skull for a begging bowl and accepted alms from her hands.
Art of Living‘s Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji says, “The dancer and the dance cannot be separated, so also the creator and his creation”. Shiva lovingly told Parvati, “This world and you are verily a part of me. The world is as illusory as the dance, neither real nor unreal. One does not try to understand a dance—you simply rejoice in it”. Anna refers to ‘food’, poorna is ‘fullness’. When you eat food, you can immediately experience contentment and fullness at the gross level. Similarly, anna daana, meaning offering of food, brings contentment in the other person who receives the offering. These glimpses of fullness and contentment can be expressed through other actions as well. Whenever you taste that contentment, it takes you to a higher state of consciousness. An unfulfilled person cannot reach the higher states.
It was on the auspicious full moon day of Margashirsha that the Goddess returned to bestow her life-giving presence upon the world. Thus, Annapoorna Jayanti is observed on this day to eternally honor the deity who ensures humanity is never deprived of food.
As the divine steward of nourishment, Mother Annapoorna is traditionally depicted holding a golden ladle and a jeweled bowl overflowing with rice, seated on a majestic throne. This image is a perpetual reminder of her bountiful grace and the sacredness of sustenance.
On this special day, devotees observe rituals that emphasize purity and gratitude. The kitchen, the heart of the home’s sustenance, is meticulously cleaned and sanctified with Ganga water. Special worship is offered to the domestic stove, and devotees honor both Shiva and Annapoorna, knowing that their combined blessings ensure the perpetual flow of food and water in the household. Cooking without onion or garlic and performing acts like Annaabhishekam (offering rice to the sustainer of life) are revered ways to connect with the divine mother’s abundant energy.
अन्नपूर्णे सदापूर्णे शङ्करप्राणवल्लभे ।
ज्ञानवैराग्यसिद्ध्यर्थं भिक्षां देहि च पार्वति||
Bow down to Mother Annapoorna, you the Eternally Complete (with the gift of Food and Blessings), You Who are the Beloved of Shankara, O Mother Parvati, Please grant me the Alms of Your Grace, to awaken within me Spiritual Knowledge and Freedom from all Worldly Desires.
Rituals & Vidhana
- Devotees may observe a full or partial Upavasa (Fasting).
- Many follow a simple diet that includes fruits, milk and light meals.
- Upavasa is observed with a calm mind and positive thoughts.
- Upavasa is broken after evening prayers.
- Upavasa on this day is believed to purify the mind and bring spiritual clarity.
Puja Vidhana
- Clean the Puja Area
- Install the moorti or photograph of Goddess Annapoorna on a wooden Peetha.
- Light a Lamp with Ghee or Sesame Oil
- Offer Arghya (water) in a copper or silver vessel.
- Apply turmeric, kumkum and sandalwood paste on Devi’s Moorti.
- OfferFresh flowers, rice, wheat and fruits as Naivedya
- Prepare Prasada – simple vegetarian food such as rice, dal, vegetables or sweet dishes.
- Chant Annapurna Ashtakam, Annapurna Stotra.
- Perform Aarti
- Distribute Prasada
