Sharad Purnima: Upper Assam devotees celebrate Lakhi Puja with moonlit rituals

Guwahati: Upper Assam came alive on Monday as devotees prepared for Lakhi Puja on the auspicious occasion of Sharad Purnima, a festival that beautifully blends faith, nature, and wellness.

Streets and marketplaces across Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, and Sivasagar were bustling with activity, as devotees purchased lotus flowers, paddy bunches, sugarcane, earthen lamps, flowers, rice, and milk for the sacred rituals. “It feels like Diwali has come early this year,” said Rina Das, a shopkeeper in Dumduma Town, smiling amid brisk sales.

The festival marks the special full moon night when Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity, is worshipped, while the divine “Maha Raas” of Lord Krishna with the Gopis is remembered.

“Sharad Purnima is the night of divine completeness. The moon shines with all sixteen kalas, bringing calmness to both body and soul,” said Priest Haran Nath, who led the rituals at a Lakhi temple in Dibrugarh.

As the full moon rose over the Brahmaputra, families prepared kheer (payokh), a traditional rice pudding, placing it under the open sky to absorb the moon’s healing rays. According to Ayurveda, the moonlight on this night possesses cooling and medicinal properties that balance body heat and promote wellness. “We leave the kheer out all night. In the morning, it tastes divine and gives a sense of peace,” said Sunita Baruah, a devotee from Sivasagar.

Experts highlight that the festival also reflects India’s ancient wisdom of seasonal balance. The night marks the transition from monsoon humidity to a cooler, calmer climate. “This is when nature is at her purest, the air is still, the sky is clear, and the moon is closest to Earth,” said Ayurveda practitioner Dr. Bhaskar Hazarika in Guwahati.

From candle-lit homes to moonlit rooftops, Sharad Purnima in Assam once again celebrated the deep connection between spirituality and science, faith and nature, glowing under the silver light of the full moon.