Adhik Maas, also called as Purushottam Maas is a month dedicated to the purushottam maha vishnu. The lord of the month is Vishnumurthy. This month is inserted in calendar in order to bring a balance between solar and lunar years.
Adhik Maas does not have a Sankranti, I.e there is no movement of the Surya from one Rashi to the other. A typical Lunar month has one Sankranti called Maasa Sankranthi. Adhik Maas doesn't have any sankranti. The sun remains in the same house and changes only later
Adhik maas is a month which occurs randomly between any two months. It is not fixed. Adhik maas occurs once in every three years approximately. This month is special and marked with high importance of praying Shri Maha Vishnu
A lunar month has 29 days and a solar month has 30 to 31 days. A lunar year is totalled to 354 days and a solar to 365days. Lunar year usually starts earlier to solar year. A gap of 11days occurs between them and in 3 years it sums up to a month.
This 13th extra month is called as Adhik Maas. Adhik maas is added to the calendar when the Amavasya and Surya Chalan ( Sankranti) coincides. This month adopts the name of month which follows.
Similarly there is Kshaya Maas. This occurs when there are only 11 months in a year. A month falls short in a year and is very rare in occurence. It happens once in 140 to 190 years. During kshaya Maas 2 sankrantis occurs in same month.
What not to do ?
- Starting new works
- Janeu Sanskaar
- Griha Pravesh
- Buying a vehicle
- Opening a new business
- Starting any machinery
- Mundan Sanskar, Sagai
- Buying Gold Ornaments or silver
- Marriages
- Taamasik Bhojan
- Digging a well
New initiations are not practiced during Adhik Maas strictly. The mentioned above are basic ones and there are many more recommendations.
Looking at the spiritual significance of the month, Adhik Maas vrat is kept by the people. Some perform Jaap, Puja, Aaradhana, Daan, Purana shravan etc. This practice of remembering Shri vishnu helps devotee enjoy worldly pleasures & attains moksha reaching Vishnu Lok / Vaikunth
Adhik Ashwin 2020 starts from Sept 18th and ends October 16th. Nij Ashwin starts from Oct 17th and the Sharadiya Devi Navratri starts on that day. Selfless pujas and Dana are performed during Adhik Maaa for vishnumurthy's blessings.
"avikArAya SuddhAya nityAya paramAtmane sadaika-rUpa-rUpAya vishNave sarva-jishnave"
We have posted this thread on Adhikmasa at This link on twitter
