The hallowed full moon day in the month of Vaikāsi, under the Visākam star is the Vaikāsi Pournima also termed Vaisāki Paurnima. The Vaikāsi moonlight floods the world with a glorious effulgence making the over arching sky infinite and vast. In our tropical skies, the moon, 'slowly and silently walks the night in her silver shoon.' The transparent clouds seem to salute her as she moves unhurriedly. This is indeed Nature's magnificence manifesting itself with an overwhelming grandeur. And with this mysteriously beautiful soft light of sanctity, comes a hush, deep and strange reminding the Hindus and Buddhists of the significance of this sacred day.
It is well known that the asterism Visākam is considered to be the birth star of Murukan who is called Visākan. The Visāka asterism is a combination of three stars which shine brightly in the sky and its pattern in the sky resembles the torana or entrance. It is the fourteenth asterism in the month of Vaikāsi when the sun's vernal equinox falls which accounts for the hot days during this month.
