Malmas 2020: Dates & Significance

This year 2020 is having Malmas or Adhik Maas ,which  is an extra month in the Hindu calendar that is inserted to keep the lunar and solar calendars aligned.

Malmas 2020: Dates

Malmas 2020  has started  from 18th September  and will  end on 16th October, then Navratri will start.    Malmas or Adhik Maas is also known as  Purushottam Maas .  Purushottam is an epithet of Vishnu, to whom the month is dedicated.

Adhik Maas  happens about every 32.5 months.

During 2018, Adhik Jyaistha, extra month after Jyaistha was observed from 16 May to 13 June. In 2020, Adhik Ashwin , extra month after Ashwin will be from 18 September to 16 October 2020.

Malmas 2020: Significance

Since Malmas is a special month which does not come every year, there are no specific festivals like Dussehra or Diwali in this month. Rather this month is treated as special and holy month and many people perform the adhik maas vrata. People perform extra mala japaspradakshinas, pilgrimages, scriptural reading and parayanas.

During Purushottam Maas, people perform various types of religious rituals such as keeping fast, recitation of religious scriptures, mantras, prayers, performing various types of puja and havan. Fasts  of various durations (full day, half day, weekly, fortnight, full month) are often undertaken. The vratas may be of complete fasting with liquids only or without liquids, fasting with fruits only or keeping fast with vegetarian food, as the individual can tolerate. It is said that the persons performing good deeds  in this month conquer their senses (indriyas) and they totally come out of punar janam (the cycle of rebirth).

MalMas is considered  as inauspicious

Adhik Maas is also called Malimmach or Mala Maas, which means unclear month. This month is considered inauspicious . Any auspicious events such as  Weddings, house warming  are not conducted at this time.