Question 1

Why is bathing so central to Magha?

Accepted Answer

The Padma Purana's Magha Mahatmya holds that the merit of bathing at a Tirtha is at its highest in this month, and that a dawn bath in any river during Magha carries the merit of one at Prayag. The practical layer is that this is the coldest month, so a pre-dawn bath is an austerity in itself — the merit is understood to lie in keeping it daily through the whole month rather than in one visit.

Question 2

Why is Mauni Amavasya kept in silence?

Accepted Answer

"Mauna" is silence, and the observance holds that the merit of the day's bath and charity is preserved by not speaking — speech being where merit is most easily dissipated. It is also remembered as the day Manu, the progenitor, was born. At Prayagraj it is the single most attended bathing day of the Magha Mela and of the Kumbh.

Question 3

Does Maha Shivaratri fall in Magha or Phalguna?

Accepted Answer

It is the Chaturdashi of a dark fortnight, and the same night is filed differently by the two reckonings. North India, using Purnimanta months, places it in Phalguna; Maharashtra, Gujarat and the southern states, using Amanta months, place it in Magha. The Gregorian date is the same in both, so the observance is kept everywhere on one night.

Question 4

How long does the month of Magha last?

Accepted Answer

A lunar month runs about 29.5 days — the time the Moon takes to return to the same phase relative to the Sun. Because that figure is not a whole number of days and the Moon's speed varies, Magha does not begin at the same clock time each year, and its length can differ by several hours from one year to the next. The begin and end timestamps listed above are computed for your own location rather than quoted from a fixed table.

Question 5

Why do the Amanta and Purnimanta dates for Magha differ?

Accepted Answer

They are two different conventions for where a month starts. An Amanta month runs New Moon to New Moon and is the standard across South and West India — Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Gujarat. A Purnimanta month runs Full Moon to Full Moon and is standard across North India. The Purnimanta Magha therefore begins about a fortnight earlier and its dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) comes first, while in the Amanta reckoning the bright fortnight comes first. The two systems agree on which Tithi a given day is; they disagree only on which month to file it under. Use the toggle above to switch between them.

Question 6

Can Magha occur twice in one year?

Accepted Answer

Yes, though rarely. Twelve lunar months fall about eleven days short of a solar year, so roughly every 32 or 33 months an extra month — Adhika Maas, also called Mala Maas or Purushottama Maas — is inserted to keep the lunar calendar aligned with the seasons. The extra month takes the name of the month that follows it, so an Adhika Magha is followed by a Nija (true) Magha. Rites of passage such as weddings, sacred-thread ceremonies and house-warmings are traditionally deferred out of the Adhika month, while recitation, charity and pilgrimage are held to be especially meritorious in it.

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About the month of Magha

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