The new moon day is called Amavasya (अमावस्या) and is observed as a day of fasting in many Hindu households. Since the Hindu calendar is organized according to the lunar month, Amavasya is the beginning of the new lunar month which last 29 days. Many festivals, the most famous being Diwali (the festival of lights) are observed on this day.
The importance of Amavasya is that it is a day of new beginnings. It is a time to discard the old (habits, thought processes, failures and negative influences) and embrace the promise of new ‘light’ that the new moon brings to us. The ‘dark’ side of the moon is revealed on this day as the moon completes its waning cycle of fourteen days. The ancients considered this day with a lot of fear and trepidation because they thought that the moon had been swallowed by the sun. The first day of the waning cycle is actually the full moon day, also called purnima. (पूर्णिमा)
The current phase of the moon can help us determine whether we are approaching amavasya or purnima.
Amavasya and Purnima Dates for 2012 (all times are in Universal Time) (key: d=Day, h=Hour, m=Minute)
NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER AMAVASYA PURNIMA d h m d h m d h m d h mJan 1 6 15 Jan 9 7 30 Jan 16 9 08 Jan 23 7 39 Jan 31 4 10 Feb 7 21 54 Feb 14 17 04 Feb 21 22 35 Mar 1 1 21 Mar 8 9 39 Mar 15 1 25 Mar 22 14 37 Mar 30 19 41 Apr 6 19 19 Apr 13 10 50 Apr 21 7 18 Apr 29 9 57 May 6 3 35 May 12 21 47 May 20 23 47 May 28 20 16 Jun 4 11 12 Jun 11 10 41 Jun 19 15 02 Jun 27 3 30 Jul 3 18 52 Jul 11 1 48 Jul 19 4 24 Jul 26 8 56 Aug 2 3 27 Aug 9 18 55 Aug 17 15 54 Aug 24 13 54 Aug 31 13 58 Sep 8 13 15 Sep 16 2 11 Sep 22 19 41 Sep 30 3 19 Oct 8 7 33 Oct 15 12 02 Oct 22 3 32 Oct 29 19 49 Nov 7 0 36 Nov 13 22 08 Nov 20 14 31 Nov 28 14 46 Dec 6 15 31 Dec 13 8 42 Dec 20 5 19 Dec 28 10 21
(image from http://www.salatshots.com/moon.php)
Listen to the Shaanti Mantra for cleansing your spirit and beginning your spiritual journey anew on this auspicious day of Amavasya.
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22 Responses to Amavasya – Hindu New Moon
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Hi
i need your help please, im doing poridge prayer on the 31st of july..and i need to know if can slaughter on that day..
PLEASE SENT ME AMAVASYA ON 1972 APRIL.
Can I please get the exact timetable for amavasya and purnima dates for year 2011?
I have updated the dates for 2011. Namaste!
[...] than a lunar event. In 2010, it so happens that this solar event coincides with the lunar event of amavasaya and a grand solar eclipse! This grand astronomical event is being celebrated in the form of a maha [...]
Hi, Can you please help me, who belive in hindu relegion ,,, As my wife wants to do mundan of our doughter on karti poorima,,,on 21 November 2010,, your nice & helpful advice will be appreciated,,,
Hii,
I have a question here, our first anniversary falls on may 14th 2010, and since it being on a amavasya day, shouldnt we celebrate it. some people are saying that we should on the next day ie 15th, but want to know if celebrating on 14th is considered inauspicious. Can you please tell the start and end timing of the amavasya. We are living in US and it would be Eastern Standard Time.
hi thank you for your website. i am enjoying it. please can you teach me how to do tamil wedding from step one till it is over and also how to do prayer when one die but in english.if there is a guru can send it to my e mail address is maligar@dut.ac.za.thank you lots of love maliga reddy.
Hi, Can you please help me, who belive in hindu relegion ,,, As my wife wants to do mundan of our son on vaisakhi/baishaki,,,on 13 april 2010 and I came to know that from elders that vaisakhi is on 14 april this year and AMAWAS is starting from 13 april by afternoon,,, which makes me difficult to take decesion for mundan ceremony,, your nice & helpful advice will be appreciated,,,
Thanks,,, yogiininparis07@yahoo.com
If you are in the US, Baisakhi is on 13th April. If you are in UK/Europe/India, Baisakhi is on 14th April. You can check mypanchang.com for finer details. Good luck!
[...] are celebrated in the first 9 days of the bright half of the month (starting from the day after Amavasya) of Aswayuja/Asvina in the Indian lunar calendar (usually in end of September or early October). [...]
[...] Pitra Paksha is known as “Mahalaya Amavasya” – the great night of the new moon or Amavasya. It is perhaps the most significant day of this fortnight as the ceremonies conducted on this day [...]
[...] Chaturthi (23rd August 2009) is celebrated on the fourth (chaturth-) day after the new moon (amavasya) in the Hindu month of “Bhadrapada” (usually in August-September). It is a culmination [...]
[...] which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated on the full moon (poornima) of the month of Shraavan. Raksha bandhan, the festival to celebrate the immaculate love between [...]
I born on new moon day. Any problem? if so What is the remedy
[...] 13th (or 14th) night of the Krishna paksha (dark half or waning phase) of the moon (night before Amavasya) in the month of Phalgun (Feb-March) by almost all sects within Hinduism. It is a day of fasting [...]
[...] belonging to a lunar month. Vaikuntha Ekadasi is the 11th day in the lunar calendar after the new moon in Dhanurmasa (December 15 – January 15). It is considered to be the day on which the doors of [...]
hi thank you for your website it is the best i am enjoying every bit it give me good learning skils i am a spiritaul person but dont know lots of things on kamar and what prayer to do for the moon and other gods and goddess but i am learning from your web i am a shiva beliver and pray alot to him.thank you once again for your website.have a good day lots of love maliga reddy south africa.
[...] Tulsi vivah is conducted on the day after Kartik Ekadashi (the eleventh bright day of the new moon, Amavasya. According to Hindu mythology, Tulsi is ceremonially married to Lord Vishnu on this day. The [...]
do send me intimations on amavasya’s and timings for 2008-09
[...] are celebrated in the first 9 days of the bright half of the month (starting from the day after Amavasaya) of Aswayuja/Asvina in the Indian lunar calendar (usually in end of September or early October). [...]