Post Chandra Grahan Must-Do Things According to Hinduism

The Chandra Grahan (lunar eclipse) is considered a significant celestial event in Hindu tradition that requires specific rituals and practices to be followed both during and after the eclipse. According to ancient scriptures and Hindu customs, certain activities must be performed immediately after the eclipse ends to purify oneself and restore spiritual balance.

Essential Post-Eclipse Rituals

1. Immediate Purification Bath (Snanam)

• When: Take a bath immediately after the eclipse concludes
• How: Use clean, fresh water for the purification bath
• Significance: This ritual bath cleanses the body and spirit of any negative energies accumulated during the eclipse
• Special Note: We should bathe once again at the culmination of the eclipse

2. Temple and Deity Purification

• Clean Sacred Spaces: After it is over the murtis have to be washed with Ganga water if available or ordinary water
• Reopen Temples: Temples that were closed during the eclipse can be reopened after proper purification
• Deity Worship: Resume normal worship practices after cleansing the sacred space

3. Food and Water Practices

• Fresh Cooking: It is advised to not to consume any cooked food and only freshly cooked food should be consumed after Eclipse
• Discard Pre-Eclipse Food: Any food prepared before or during the eclipse should not be consumed
• Fresh Water: Replace water that was stored during the eclipse period
• Remove Tulsi Leaves: Since cooking is avoided during Chandra Grahan, tulsi leaves are placed in prepared meals and drinking water to purify and protect them from harmful influences – these can now be removed

Spiritual Practices to Continue

4. Charitable Activities (Daan)

• Significance: This eclipse is a golden opportunity to increase your spiritual karmic punya account/merit account by fasting, 2 times bath (beginning and end of Grahana), Tarpana, Mantra Japa and Dana
• What to Donate:
  • Food grains (rice, wheat, pulses)
  • Clothes to the needy
  • Money to charitable causes
  • Essential items to Brahmins

5. Ancestral Worship (Tarpan and Shradh)

• Resume Rituals: If the eclipse occurred during Pitru Paksha or other ancestral worship periods
• Tarpan: Water mixed with black sesame offered with mantras
• Pind Daan: Rice and barley balls mixed with ghee and honey offered to ancestors

6. Mantra Chanting and Prayer

• Chandra Mantra: Chant “Om Shram Shrimam Sram Chandramse Namah”
• Continue Prayers: Resume regular prayer schedules that may have been interrupted
• Meditation: Engage in peaceful meditation to restore mental balance

Important Guidelines

Regional Considerations

If the eclipse affects the region that you are living in, then you should follow the rituals as prescribed by the scriptures. However, if the eclipse does not affect your region, then you should not follow the rituals laid out for the eclipse

Household Activities

• Resume Normal Activities: Cooking, eating, and other household work can be resumed after the purification bath
• Clean the House: Thoroughly clean living spaces, especially areas where worship is conducted
• Change Clothes: Wear fresh, clean clothes after the purification bath

Special Considerations for Pregnant Women and Children

• Gentle Practices: Follow the same purification rituals but with gentler approaches
• Fresh Food: Ensure only freshly prepared, pure food is consumed
• Peaceful Environment: Maintain a calm, positive atmosphere in the home

Spiritual Benefits

Following these post-eclipse practices is believed to:

• Remove negative influences accumulated during the eclipse
• Restore spiritual purity and balance
• Increase positive karma and merit
• Ensure continued divine protection
• Maintain harmony between celestial and terrestrial energies

Modern Observance

While maintaining traditional practices, modern Hindu families can adapt these rituals to their lifestyle:

• Urban devotees can visit nearby temples for community prayers
• Those unable to perform elaborate rituals can focus on simple purification and prayer
• Charitable activities can be done through modern means like online donations

Remember, the essence of these practices lies in spiritual purification, devotion, and maintaining harmony with natural cosmic cycles. The sincerity of observance is more important than elaborate external rituals.

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These practices are based on traditional Hindu scriptures and customs. Individual family traditions may vary, and it’s always advisable to consult with learned priests or elders for specific guidance.