Kama Trayodash is a festival to worship and please Kamdev, the Hindu God of love. It is to be practiced commencing on the thirteenth day in the bright fortnight of the month of Margasira (December – January) and done for one year. Kama Trayodashi 2024 date is December 13. The very name of the festival is a combination of two words ‘Ananga’, which means the God of love (Kama), the Manmata, also known as the body-less one, and trayodasi which means the thirteenth day.
Kama Trayodashi is performed by drawing a picture of Manmata
on a piece of cloth and worshipping under twelve different names. The God of
love was burnt by Mahadeva Shiva when the former attempted to disturb the
penance of Shiva at the instance of the gods, desiring to induce Shiva to marry
Parvati and produce a child for the destruction of the demon Taraka oppressing
the gods and men. Hence the God of love is ananga (body-less).
On this day, at first Shambhu (Shiva) is to be worshipped
and anointed with the panchamrita (five sweet items) – milk, sugar, ghee, curd
and honey. Every month Ananga (identified with Shambhu) is to be worshipped
under a different name such as Samara in the month of Magha etc., with
different kinds of flowers and other offerings. As in the other austerities,
this also is believed to confer prosperity.
This festival is more popular in the North India.