Margashirsha

Margashirsha is named after Mrigashira, the deer-head nakshatra, in which the moon is full. The name is also written Agrahayana, which points to its old standing as the beginning of the year in some ancient reckonings. Hemanta, early winter, is the season: mornings turn misty, the rabi sowing finishes, and the kharif grain reaches the market.

The Bhagavad Gita has Krishna listing his glories, and one verse, 10.35, says that among months he is Margashirsha. That is why the month is called dear to Krishna, and devotees read the Gita and the Vishnu Sahasranama. Gita Jayanti, on Shukla Ekadashi, commemorates the teaching at Kurukshetra, which is also the day of Mokshada Ekadashi, kept for the sake of liberation and for ancestors. Vivah Panchami recalls the marriage of Rama and Sita, though many Mithila families avoid weddings on that date because of Sita's later hardships. Dattatreya Jayanti on the full moon honours the three-faced sage-deity.

In Maharashtra and neighbouring regions women observe Thursday Lakshmi vrata in this month. Keshava, a name of Vishnu, presides, with Varuna as Aditya. For calendars, the month starts at different times under Amanta and Purnimanta systems; Gita Jayanti and Mokshada Ekadashi fall in the bright half, which both systems share, so they rarely cause confusion.