This year, 2012, the date of Chitra Poornima is May 5. Poornima begins 11:50 a.m. tomorrow (May 5) and ends at 09:24 a.m. on May 6 (IST).
Chitra Poornima is dedicated to Chitragupta, the keeper of deeds in the house of Yama, (God of death) and to Indra, the leader of the Devas. This full moon observance of girivalam at Arunachala, is expected to be the most heavily attended of the year (other than the Poornima over Mahadeepam).
Chitra Poornima is a day sacred to Chitra Gupta, the Keeper of Deeds. Lord Brahma created Chitragupta through the Sun God and He is considered as the younger brother of Lord Yama.
Chitragupta (Chitra means picture, Gupta means hidden) represents the hidden picture of life that is vital, yet unknown. Chitragupta keeps the good and bad register of every birth and according to ancestral belief, it is he who tallies your positive karma against negative and declares the result to the Judge on High. It is believed to be the right time to gain blessings to wash away sin and accrue virtue.
Legend of Chitra Poornima
Brihaspati was the Guru of Indra, the King of the Gods. Indra disobeyed Brihaspati on one occasion and Brihaspati relinquished his role of instructing and guiding Indra. Consequently during the period of the Guru's absence, Indra committed many evil acts. When the compassionate Guru resumed his role, Indra wanted to know what he should do to expiate the wrongs he had done in his Master’s absence. Brihaspati asked Indra to undertake a pilgrimage.
One day during Indra’s pilgrimage, he had a sudden realisation that he has been redeemed from his sins. He looked around and noticed a Shiva Lingam under a Kadamba tree. Feeling sure that it was Lord Shiva who had helped him in alleviating his sins, he worshipped the Lingam. Suddenly golden lotuses appeared in a nearby pond as a manfiestation of God’s pleasure and blessing. This legend is ascribed to have occurred at Chitra Poornima, at Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
This special day has come to be known in Tamil Nadu as Chitra Poornima. It is advised that during Chitra Poornima one should remember this story. With intense faith and a contrite heart it is believed that if one admits to one’s sins and resolves never to commit such sins in the future and also pledges to always obey the Guru, then one’s previous sins will be forgiven.
