Ayudha Pooja is celebrated in different names in various states of Southern India, as part of Navratri festival. It is celebrated with great joy in Tamil Nadu and other parts of the country, with different rituals. It is celebrated on the 9th day of Valar Pirai, falls usually in September or October.
In this year 2017 Ayudha Puja festival will fall on 29th September 2017 (Friday).
Vijay Muhurat = 14:09 to 14:56
Duration = 0 Hours 47 Mins
Navami Date Begins = 09:36 pm on 28-Sep-2017
Navami Date Ends = 11:49 pm on 29-Sep-2017
The Significance
Ayudha Pooja is among the most significant parts of Navratri festival in India. Whatever tool you use; even if it is your plough; bow down to it first and then use it. If you use a book, bow down at it first and then use it. The meaning of Ayudha Puja is that you have to approach every implement you use with respect, whether in agriculture, industry or anywhere else. If you don’t approach something with the feeling of involvement or reverence, it won’t yield. The same instruments become different in hands of other people. It becomes noise in one’s hands, while it becomes very amazing music in another one’s hands. It is up to the way you use it.
Reverence doesn’t literally refer to a ritual or worship. It just relates on how you look up to it in a different way. If you don’t look up on it, or if it is less than you, it is sure that you won’t get into it. You will not get benefitted if you are not involved. If you use anything, you look it up as something beyond yourself and you bow down to it. It adds a great feeling of involvement. Once involvement is there, you won’t handle it perfectly and you can get the best of it. You will definitely know the feeling of doing things, along with achieving things. Along with how much you have harvested, the quality of life is in how happily you did what you like. If you consider your implement using reverence, it will be joyful to you as when you hold it, it’s like approaching god and you can get in touch with what you think divine.
Ayudha Puja Means Approaching Every Implement Respectfully
Among all the instruments you are going to use, your mind and body are the most important instruments. Ayudha Puja is about being reverential to your own mind and body. If you get reverential to something, reverence brings a distance naturally. If you are reverential to your own mind and body, you can build a clear space between what is your body, what is you, and what is your mind. If you have clear distance between you and your mind and body, it will lead you to the end of suffering. Any suffering you have is either through your mind or body.
Legends
When Goddess Chamundeshwari killed Mahishasura and other demons, her weapons were no longer useful. So, these weapons kept at a certain place and worshiped. Since ancient period, this ritual is performed. On the day of Dussehra, Arjuna took his weapons back which had been hidden in Vani Tree to survive his life in disguise during his period of exile. One who renovates or starts his learning to work on this day secures a great success just like what Arjuna did during Kurukshetra war.
