Aghira or Agira Purnami & Lunar Eclipse



Aghira Purnami or Agira Purnami (Odia: ଅଘିରା ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା କିମ୍ବା ଅଗିରା ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା) is a local festival in Odisha which was celebrated in the month of Magha according to the Odia calendar. This festival observes in the month of January or February according to the Grogrin calendar.

This festival is also known as Magha Purnmia (ମାଘ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣମୀ), Aighra Purnima (ଅଇଘରା ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା), Agni Ustsav or Agnyutsav (ଅଗ୍ନ୍ୟୁତ୍ସବ), Aighera (ଅଇଘେରା), Aighara Punein (ଅଇଘରା ପୁନେଇଁ), Agijala Purnima (ଅଗିଜଳା ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା) in Odisha.

According to some facts, this festival is celebrated to goodbye winter. Some believed that this festival is for the farmers. After harvesting, farmers offer the straws to the god of fire so he would burn the insects during the next cultivation.


The ritual of this festival is to make fire some straws after the puja by Brahmin and people also offer some vegetables, coconut to the fire. And it's believed that some diseases cured by eating those brunt vegetables. Some people also keep the ash at home to keep safe from the evil powers.








* All these photographs are taken by Bikas Ojha, Anand, Ganeswar Nayak and Sangram Keshari Senapati.

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