Importance of Amavasya

The new moon day is called Amavasya and is observed as a day of fasting in many Hindu households. Since the Hindu calendar is organized according to the lunar month, Amavasya is the beginning of the new lunar month which last 29 days. Many festivals, the most famous being Diwali (the festival of lights) are observed on this day.

The importance of Amavasya is that it is a day of new beginnings. It is a time to discard the old (habits, thought processes, failures and negative influences) and embrace the promise of new light that the new moon brings to us. The dark side of the moon is revealed on this day as the moon completes its waning cycle of fourteen days the ancients considered this day with a lot of fear and trepidation because they thought that the moon had been swallowed by the sun. The first day of the waning cycle is actually the full moon day, also called Purnima.

Source: http://blog.eaglespace.com/amavasya/

Amavasya, or Amavasi, is the name of new moon night in Hindu religion. It is the first night of the first quarter of the lunar month. Since the moon is invisible on the day, Amavasya is also referred as no moon night. Amavasi holds great importance in Hinduism. Many Hindus choose this day to make offering (tharpanam) to the dead ancestors. There is also an ongoing debate whether Amavasya is auspicious or inauspicious.

The term ‘Amavasya’ is commonly used in all regional languages in India. The fortnight that starts with Amavasya is also referred as the Shukla paksha (bright half of the month). Mauni Amavasya in Hindu Magh month (January – February) and Mahalya Amvasya in Ashwayuja (September – October) are highly auspicious. In some regions people observe partial fast (Upvaas) or a complete fast on the day.

Thanks to mainstream Indian movies, Amavasya is considered the ideal day to perform black magic and evil acts. Since there is no moon, Amavasya night is pitch dark and this provides the ideal setting to invoke evil powers.

Earlier it was advised not to travel on an Amavasya night. The logic being that there is no moonlight and this could invite lot of hardship and danger.

Many astrologers advise against performing any important ceremony on the day as moon and important planet in Hindu astrology is not visible. In some regions, people do perform certain auspicious deeds on the day. But largely no new beginnings or important ceremonies are held on the day.

Symbolically, the period from Amavasya to Purnima (full moon) is considered to be the gradual awakening and transcendence into the fullness. From darkness to the gradual realization of the Supreme Soul.

Source: http://www.hindu-blog.com/2008/02/significance-of-amavasya.html