Bengal, Assam, and Tripura In
Bengal,
Tripura,
Assam and
Mithila the night is known as Kojagari Purnima. Kojagari translates to 'one who is awake' in Bengali. It is believed that Goddess
Lakshmi visits people's houses on this night, checks whether they are staying awake, and blesses them only if they are awake. is served as an offering on this day|192x192pxIn
northern and
central states of India, such as
Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar,
Jharkhand,
Madhya Pradesh and
Chhattisgarh,
kheer is prepared during the night and kept under the moonlight in an open roofed space overnight. It is believed that on this night, moon rays carry
amrita (elixir of immortality), which is collected in the kheer. The kheer is then eaten as a
prasad on the next day. Also, goddess Lakshmi is worshipped on this night. For some
Bengali tribes, the day is celebrated a few days before or after the exact day, especially in the
Dyao,
Brahmo, and Cumulang traditions, as per various traditions determining which days are auspicious for celebration. In
Maharashtra, it is popularly known as Kojagiri Paurnima. People make masala milk and keep it outside under the moonlight, as moon rays are believed to carry
amrita. In many parts of
Gujarat,
Garba is performed under the moonlight. In
Mithila region of Bihar, special celebration of
Kojagra occurs in the house of newly married groom. Groom's family distribute
betel and
Makhana gifted from bride family to their relatives & neighbours. In
Odisha, this auspicious day is known as
Kumāra punein/Kumāra purnimā (କୁମାର ପୁନେଇଁ / କୁମାର ପୁର୍ଣ୍ଣିମା), on this day unmarried women fast, with the popular belief of getting their suitable groom (
kumara). Unmarried women worship the moon on the occasion of this festival. The puja starts in the early morning when the moon sets with new dress. A
kula (a basket made of woven bamboo strips) is filled with rice puffs, sugarcane, betel leaves, betel nuts, cucumbers, coconuts, and seven other fruits such as apples or bananas. In the evening the full moon is worshiped again, and worshippers break their fast by preparing a dish containing the fried paddy and fruits from the
kula, along with curd and jaggery and offer it to the moon god before a
tulsi plant. After this, maidens play games and sing songs under the light of the full moon. == Celebrations outside India ==