Lalita Jayanti 2024: Date, rituals, puja timings, significance and celebrations

Lalita Jayanti is celebrated annually on the full moon date of the month of Magha along with the auspicious vrat of Magha Purnima. Goddess Lalita is one of the ten Mahavidyas and is also known by the name of Tripura Sundari or Goddess Shodashi. The day is celebrated with much fanfare by Maa Durga devotees who worship the goddess by visiting her temples and also attend various darshans and jagratas organised in her honour. Goddess Lalita or Shodashi is depicted as a 16-year-old girl with dusky, red or gold in complexion with third eye on her forehead. Mahavidyas can help people fulfill their specific wishes and each one of them has a specific Yantra and Mantra for the same. Maa Lalita or Tripura Sundari is considered the most beautiful in all the three worlds. (Also read | Masi Magam 2024: Date, significance, rituals, celebration of the Tamil festival)
Lalita Jayanti is being celebrated on Magha Purnima on February 24, Saturday, this year. (Also read | Guru Ravidas Jayanti 2024: Date, history and significance)
Lalita Jayanti Tithi begins on February 23 at 3:33 pm and will end on February 24 at 5:59 pm.
As per the legend, during a Yagya organised in Naimisharanya, Lord Shiva failed to get up to welcome his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati, father of Sati, even though all other God stood up in his honour. This infuriated Daksha Prajapati who refused to invite Lord Shiva for the Yagya organised by him. When Mata Sati came to know about this, she reached her father’s house. She couldn’t bear the criticism and ill-words about her husband and jumped into the fire. A distraught Lord Shiva carried Sati’s corpse around the world. It is said, Lord Vishnu used his chakra to cut Sati’s body into 51 pieces so that she could reincarnate. Each part of the body was converted into a Shaktipeetha. In Naimisharanya, goddess is worshipped as Lalita Devi.
One of the ten Mahavidyas, Mata Lalita is kind and graceful and blesses her devotees with prosperity, wisdom and liberation. Worshipping goddess Lalita is also associated with attaining all sorts of pleasures and comforts in life. Goddess Shodashi’s devotees are blessed with accomplishments and worldly pleasures. Worshipping the goddess can also help one get rid of all past sins. According to Drikpanchang, Shodashi Sadhana is done for pleasure as well as for liberation. Tripura Sundari Sadhana provides strength to control body, mind and emotions.