Hayagreeva Jayanti 2023 Date, Time, Rituals, and Significance
Hayagriva Jayanti is a festival honoring the apparition of Lord Hayagriva. It is the birthday of Lord Hayagriva, one of Lord Vishnu’s incarnations. The purpose of donning and being reborn in this incarnation was to restore to Brahma the Vedas, which the demons had forcibly taken and kept from him. It was Lord Hayagriva’s responsibility to return all knowledge to its proper location. Lord Hayagriva is revered as the God of knowledge and intelligence. The traditional Hindu calendar places Hayagriva Jayanti on the full moon of the month of Shravan.
Hayagreeva Jayanti Date 2023
Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Full Moon Tithi starts – 30 August, 2023 at 11:00
Full Moon Tithi ends – 31 August, 2023 at 07:06
Legends of Hayagreeva Jayanti
According to Hindu scriptures, there are two legends regarding the apparition of Lord Hayagriva. Hayagriva’s reincarnation is described in the Mahabharata’s Shanti Parva and the Puranas. Hayagriva, son of Kashyapa Prajapati, conducted severe penances and austerities, according to legend. Goddess Durga granted him the boon that no man or god can vanquish him; he can only be defeated by another Hayagriva. Later on, Hayagriva began to abuse his authority. There was widespread panic throughout the globe. The Devas were unable to vanquish Hayagriva on the battlefield. Lord Vishnu reclined his head on his bow after observing this. When the threads broke, the head of Lord Vishnu was severed from his bed. Fear gripped the Gods, but only the goddess Durga comprehended why. She requested that Brahma attach the cranium of a horse to the body of Vishnu. Thus, a second Hayagriva was created, who fought and defeated the original Hayagriva.
In another legend, Lord Hayagriva assumed the form of a god and a horse in order to recover the Vedas, which had been seized and submerged by the demons Madhu and Kaitabha. The Vedas were stolen while Lord Brahma slept. Then, Lord Vishnu assumed this incarnation in order to save the Vedas. The incarnation of Hayagriva is therefore associated with knowledge and wisdom.
Rituals of Hayagreeva Jayanti
- Lord Hayagreeva is depicted as Lord Vishnu with a human body and a horse head, a white complexion, white clothing, and a lotus seat.
- On the occasion of Hayagriva Jayanti, the Avani Avittam is observed.
- The old Yajnapavit, also known as Janeyu, is discarded at this time.
- On this day, Lord Brahma is also worshipped.
Students venerate Lord Hayagriva for knowledge and wisdom-granting blessings. - Lord Hayagriva Temple in Hojo, Assam, and Hayagreeva Temple, also known as Hayagriva Madhava Temple, in Nanganallur, Chennai, host grand celebrations.
Significance of Hayagreeva Jayanti
Hayagreeva Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the day on which Lord Hayagreeva descended to earth to retrieve the Vedas from demons, who had stolen them from Lord Brahma.
Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Mutt is one of Srivaishnavas’ sacred mutts. Lord Sri Lakshmi Hayagreeva Swamy presides over this shrine, which was founded in 1378.
Mattu Gulla is an enormous, spherical brinjal. Gulla signifies spherical in the local Tulu language. It has light green stripes, a thin epidermis, ample pulp, and a few seeds. The stalk has a few barbs, a feature that distinguishes it from other Gullas. It is said that the saint Vaadiraja Thirta (1480-1600) would daily offer Lord Hayagreeva (a white horse) a prasad called Hayagreeva Maddi (made with Bengal gramme, jaggery, ghee, and grated coconut).