Preparations:
Sharad Purnima is celebrated with great joy and excitement across India. This day is also considered as birthday of Goddess Laxmi in many parts of India and is believed that Goddess Laxmi comes to visit earth and bless all people, who are found awake for wealth and prosperity so,
* Kheer made out of cow s milk
* Puri
* White clothes for the idols of the Gods
* One pata
* One kalash with water
* Wheat kernels in a katori, roli – chawal
Vidhi (Method) of Puja
* Place kalash filled with water and a katori with wheat kernels on Pata.
* Draw swastik with roli on the kalash and katori.
* Read/ listen the katha of Sharad Purnirna, after taking 13 kernels of wheat in the hand
* Water in the kalash is kept in open for whole night to be offered to the moon.
Katha
Sharad Purnima Ki Katha
There was a Sahukaar (Business man) who had two daughters. Both the sisters used to keep the purnima (full moon) fast. The older sister used to observe the entire fast while the younger sister used to observe it only in part.
Because of this the younger sister’s children used to die as soon as they were born. Unable to understand the reason of her children’s death, she consulted many pundits. They all told her that because she did not observe the purnima fast completely her children did not live.
Taking their advice, the younger sister observed the purnima fast and followed it completely. After some time, a son was born to her but he also did not survive. The younger sister put the body of the son on a peedha (stool) covered it with a cloth and invited her sister to sit on it. Not knowing about the child, the sister lowered herself on to the stool.
As soon as she touched the body, the child came to life and started crying. Startled, the older sister accosted the younger sister for making her commit a sin of killing the boy. The younger sister explained everything and told her that it was because of the older sister s punya (virtues - good deeds) that the boy has been brought back to life.
Purnima Mata, as you blessed the younger sister, so also bless the narrator of the katha, the listeners of the katha and the followers of the katha with their families.
Bindaayakji /Ganeshji ki Katha is read after one reads the festival katha. A few grains of rice are kept in the hand while listening to the katha. After completion of the katha, the rice grains are left in the water of the kalash, kept for puja.