Purnima 2026 Dates: Full Moon Calendar with Vrat Method

Purnima — the full moon — is the 15th tithi of Shukla Paksha, the moment when the Moon stands in direct opposition to the Sun and reflects its maximum light upon the Earth. Every Purnima marks the completion of a lunar cycle, the peak of lunar energy, and the most auspicious moment of the month for worship, charity, and spiritual practice. In 2026, there are 12 Purnima dates, each with a distinct name, associated festival or deity, and specific spiritual character. This guide provides the complete Purnima 2026 calendar with dates, significance, and the full Purnima vrat method.

> Quick Answer: Purnima 2026 dates: January 13, February 12, March 13, April 12, May 12, June 11, July 10, August 9, September 7, October 7, November 5, December 4. The most sacred Purnima of the year is Sharad Purnima (October 7) — the only night when the Moon is said to be at its maximum luminosity and divine nectar (amrita) descends to Earth. Check the live Purnima tithi window on our Panchang page.

Reviewed by Dr. Meenakshi Sharma, M.A. Sanskrit & Vedic Studies, Varanasi — as of May 2026.

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Purnima occurs when the Moon's longitude is exactly 180 degrees from the Sun's longitude — the two luminaries in direct opposition. At this moment, the Moon reflects the Sun's light at its fullest, illuminating the night sky with maximum intensity. The word Purnima derives from the Sanskrit root "purna" — complete, full, whole.

In Vedic cosmology, the Moon (Chandra) governs the mind (manas), emotions, water element in the body, and the connection between the living and the ancestral world. At Purnima, the Moon's gravitational influence on the Earth's water bodies is at its highest. The Vedic rishis correlated this with heightened emotional sensitivity, amplified mental activity, and expanded capacity for devotional practice.

The Skanda Purana states that bathing in a sacred river on Purnima gives the merit of one thousand ordinary sacred baths. The Vishnu Purana identifies Purnima as the day when the Moon literally becomes Vishnu's vessel — carrying divine grace to Earth in the form of moonlight.

> Quick Answer: Purnima is the 15th Shukla Paksha tithi — the moment the Moon is exactly 180 degrees from the Sun. The Moon governs mind, emotions, and water in Vedic cosmology. At Purnima, lunar influence is maximum. The Skanda Purana rates Purnima bathing as equal to 1,000 ordinary sacred baths in terms of spiritual merit.

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January 13 — Paush Purnima

Paush Purnima falls in the coldest month of the Hindu year (Paush/Pousha) and marks the beginning of the Magh Mela — the month-long sacred bathing festival at Prayagraj (Allahabad), where the Ganga, Yamuna, and the invisible Saraswati meet. Bathing at the Triveni Sangam on Paush Purnima is considered exceptionally meritorious. The Moon is in Punarvasu or Pushya Nakshatra during Paush Purnima, both of which are associated with nourishment and renewal.

February 12 — Magha Purnima

Magha Purnima is one of the most sacred full moons of the year. The Magha Mela at Prayagraj reaches its culmination on this day, and the Snan (sacred bathing) done on Magha Purnima is described in the Matsya Purana as equivalent to performing the Ashvamedha yajna. Devotees of Vishnu read the Bhagavata Purana during the entire Magha month, completing it on Purnima. The Padma Purana identifies Magha Purnima as one of the three most meritorious bathing days of the year.

March 13 — Phalguna Purnima (Holi Purnima)

Phalguna Purnima is the night of Holika Dahan — the bonfire that celebrates the destruction of the demoness Holika and the protection of the devotee Prahlad. The festival of Holi begins on this Purnima night and continues through the next morning (Dhulendi/Rangwali Holi). The story from the Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana describes Prahlad's devotion to Vishnu and Holika's failed attempt to kill him with fire — protected by Vishnu's grace. Phalguna Purnima also marks the end of the winter season and the arrival of spring.

April 12 — Chaitra Purnima (Hanuman Jayanti)

Chaitra Purnima is the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman — Hanuman Jayanti. The Valmiki Ramayana places Hanuman's birth on this Purnima, born to Anjana and the wind god Vayu. Temples dedicated to Hanuman observe elaborate celebrations, including recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa, Sundara Kanda readings, and processions. Chaitra Purnima is also associated with Chitragupta — the celestial accountant of Yama who records all actions — and some communities observe Chitragupta Puja on this day.

May 12 — Vaishakha Purnima (Buddha Purnima)

Vaishakha Purnima is one of the most cosmically significant full moons — celebrated both as a Hindu sacred day and as Buddha Purnima (Vesak), the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Gautama Buddha. The Vaishnava tradition considers Vaishakha Purnima as the day to honour Vishnu in his Vamana avatar. This Purnima coincides with the month of Vaishakha, considered the most sacred month in the Hindu calendar — the Skanda Purana devotes an entire section (Vaishakha Mahatmya) to the merit of practices performed during this month, culminating on Vaishakha Purnima.

June 11 — Jyeshtha Purnima

Jyeshtha Purnima falls in the peak of summer. The Ganga Dussehra bathing festival concludes in this period. The Vata Savitri Vrat — observed by married women for the protection of their husbands' lives, by worshipping the Vata (banyan) tree — falls on Jyeshtha Purnima in some regional traditions (and on Jyeshtha Amavasya in others, depending on the community). The story from the Skanda Purana recounts Savitri's negotiations with Yama to retrieve her husband Satyavan's life — a story of supreme conjugal devotion.

July 10 — Ashadha Purnima (Guru Purnima)

Ashadha Purnima is Guru Purnima — the most important day in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain calendars for honouring one's spiritual teacher. The day celebrates the birth of Maharishi Veda Vyasa, who systematised the Vedas, composed the Mahabharata and Puranas, and is the ultimate Guru of all Vedic learning. "Guru" means the one who removes darkness (gu = darkness, ru = remover). On Guru Purnima, disciples offer worship to their teachers — performing pada puja (washing the teacher's feet), offering flowers, and seeking blessings. The following day (Ashadha Shukla Ekadashi — Devshayani Ekadashi) marks the beginning of Chaturmas.

August 9 — Shravana Purnima (Raksha Bandhan)

Shravana Purnima is the day of Raksha Bandhan — the festival of the sacred thread (raksha) tied by sisters on their brothers' wrists as a symbol of protection and the bond of sibling love. The Bhagavata Purana recounts the story of Indrani tying a protective thread on Indra's wrist before the war with the Asuras. The Shravana Purnima is also the day of the Avani Avittam (Upakarma) ritual for Brahmin communities — the annual renewal of the sacred thread (Yajnopavita) and the recitation of the Vedic Sankalpa for the coming year.

September 7 — Bhadrapada Purnima

Bhadrapada Purnima concludes the month of Bhadrapada — a month dense with major festivals (Ganesh Chaturthi, Janmashtami, Radha Ashtami, Nag Panchami). This Purnima marks the conclusion of the Ganesh festival period in some regional traditions. It is also Pitru Paksha Arambha in some Panchang traditions — the beginning of the 15-day period dedicated to ancestral worship (though the most common reckoning places Pitru Paksha beginning on the day after Bhadrapada Purnima, in Krishna Paksha).

October 7 — Ashvina Purnima (Sharad Purnima)

Sharad Purnima is the most sacred Purnima of the year. The Bhagavata Purana describes the Maharasa — the cosmic dance (Rasa Lila) of Krishna with the Gopis in the forest of Vrindavana — as occurring on Sharad Purnima. More significantly, the Ayurvedic tradition holds that on Sharad Purnima, the Moon is at its absolute maximum luminosity for the entire year, having reached its northern-most declination. Divine nectar (amrita) is said to descend from the Moon on this night. The traditional practice is to leave kheer (rice cooked in milk with sugar) under the open sky on Sharad Purnima night, exposing it to the moonlight. The kheer absorbs the Moon's amrita and becomes medicinal and spiritually charged. It is consumed the next morning as prasad.

The Kaumudi festival — a night festival of moonlight — is observed on Sharad Purnima across India. Temples remain open through the night and devotees sit in the moonlight in meditation or kirtan.

November 5 — Kartik Purnima (Dev Deepawali)

Kartik Purnima is one of the three most sacred Purnimas of the year, alongside Magha and Vaishakha. It is the day of Dev Deepawali — when the gods themselves descend to the Ganga Ghats to celebrate Diwali, lighting millions of lamps along the riverbanks. The largest Dev Deepawali celebration takes place in Varanasi, where the ghats are illuminated with hundreds of thousands of earthen lamps (diyas) and the river reflects a carpet of light. The Skanda Purana devotes extensive passages to the merit of bathing in the Ganga on Kartik Purnima. It also marks the end of the Tulsi Vivah period and the formal conclusion of Chaturmas in many traditions.

December 4 — Margashirsha Purnima

Margashirsha Purnima falls in the month that Krishna identifies in the Bhagavad Gita as his own: "Among months I am Margashirsha" (Chapter 10, Verse 35). This month is considered particularly auspicious for Vishnu worship. The Margashirsha Purnima is a day for Satyanarayan Puja, which is widely performed across India on Purnima days. The Skanda Purana's Satyanarayan Katha specifically recommends Purnima as the ideal day for this puja.

> Quick Answer: The 12 Purnima dates in 2026 are: January 13 (Paush/Magh Mela), February 12 (Magha), March 13 (Holi/Phalguna), April 12 (Hanuman Jayanti), May 12 (Vaishakha/Buddha Purnima), June 11 (Jyeshtha), July 10 (Guru Purnima), August 9 (Raksha Bandhan), September 7 (Bhadrapada), October 7 (Sharad Purnima), November 5 (Dev Deepawali/Kartik), December 4 (Margashirsha). Each carries distinct significance and associated rituals.

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The Moon governs several critical systems in the Vedic framework. The Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra identifies the Moon as the karaka (significator) of mind, mother, nourishment, emotions, water, and the left eye. At Purnima, the Moon is at full strength — its strength in the Shad Bala system (the six-part strength calculation in Vedic astrology) is maximised because it is furthest from the Sun and reflecting maximum solar light.

This maximum strength translates into amplified influence on human consciousness. Meditation, mantra practice, and devotional worship performed on Purnima carry a natural amplification because the mental faculties — governed by the Moon — are at their peak receptivity.

> Quick Answer: At Purnima, the Moon scores maximum Chesta Bala (motional strength) and Paksha Bala (fortnight strength) in the Vedic Shad Bala system. This means lunar influence on the human mind, emotions, and water body is at its peak. All spiritual practices — meditation, mantra, charitable giving — are naturally amplified on Purnima because the Moon's karaka powers are maximised.

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Chaturdashi (the day before): Light a lamp before Vishnu in the evening and announce the sankalpa (resolve) to observe Purnima Vrat the next day.

Purnima itself: 1. Wake at Brahma Muhurta (1.5 hours before sunrise) 2. Bathe and wear clean white or yellow clothing 3. Perform Chandra Puja — worship of the Moon. Offer white flowers (jasmine, white lotus), white rice, white sweets, milk, and white sandalwood 4. Recite the Chandra Stuti or the Shiva-Panchakshara Stotra (as Shiva is also worshipped on Purnima in Shaiva traditions) 5. Fast until moonrise — or observe a partial fast (eating once, avoiding grains and non-vegetarian food) 6. At moonrise: offer Arghya to the Moon — stand facing the rising Moon and pour water from a copper vessel in a thin stream toward the Moon, reciting the Chandra Arghya mantra 7. The vrat is completed with this Arghya offering 8. Consume prasad — ideally kheer or milk-based sweets

Charitable acts on Purnima: The Skanda Purana lists charity (dana) as essential to Purnima observance. Donating milk, white cloth, silver, rice, or sugar to Brahmins or the needy on Purnima is said to give the merit of a full-moon sacrifice.

> Quick Answer: The Purnima Vrat involves fasting until moonrise, Chandra Puja with white offerings (flowers, milk, white sweets), offering Arghya (water libation) to the rising Moon, and charitable giving. Kheer left under moonlight and consumed the next morning is the traditional Purnima prasad. The full vrat is completed at moonrise on Purnima night.

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Sharad Purnima (October 7, 2026) is the supreme Purnima of the year for several converging reasons:

Astronomical: The Sharad season corresponds to the Moon's highest elevation in the Indian sky. The combination of Ashvina Purnima with the Moon in Ashvini or Revati Nakshatra at maximum brightness creates the most luminous full moon night of the calendar year.

Mythological: The Bhagavata Purana (10th Skanda, Rasa Lila chapters) places the cosmic Rasa dance of Krishna on Sharad Purnima. The Gopis heard the sound of Krishna's flute on this night and came to the forest of Vrindavana, where Krishna multiplied himself to dance with each Gopi individually — a symbol of the soul's intimate encounter with the divine.

Ayurvedic: The Caraka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita both identify Sharad (autumn) as the season when the body's Pitta (fire-bile) is naturally elevated. Moonlight, which has cooling properties in Ayurveda, is at its most therapeutically powerful on Sharad Purnima.

Ritual: Leaving kheer under the open sky on Sharad Purnima night — absorbing the lunar amrita — and consuming it at dawn is one of the most widely practised pan-Hindu customs, observed from Bengal to Kerala and from Gujarat to Assam.

> Quick Answer: Sharad Purnima (October 7, 2026) is the most sacred Purnima because the Moon is at its absolute annual peak of brightness, the Bhagavata Purana places Krishna's Rasa Lila on this night, and Ayurvedic medicine identifies this night's moonlight as maximally medicinal. The practice of leaving kheer under the moonlight to absorb lunar amrita is one of India's most universal ritual customs.

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In Vedic astrology, your natal Moon sign (Chandra Rashi) and nakshatra are among the most important elements of your birth chart. The Purnima on which you were born — if you were born close to a full moon — gives your chart a particularly strong lunar signature. People born near Purnima tend to have strong minds, vivid emotional lives, and prominent public presence, as the Moon at full strength directly amplifies all its karakas.

The tithi of birth (Janma Tithi) is also used in the Tithi Pravesha system — the annual return of the Sun-Moon angle to its natal position. Use our birth chart calculator to find your natal Moon nakshatra, the Purnima nearest your birth, and the tithi of your birth.

> Quick Answer: People born near Purnima carry a strong lunar signature in their Vedic birth chart — heightened Moon strength amplifies mind, emotions, and public presence. The Janma Tithi (birth tithi) determines your lunar birthday celebration and is used in Tithi Pravesha for annual predictive charting. Find your birth Moon's details with our birth chart calculator.

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1. What are all the Purnima dates in 2026? January 13, February 12, March 13, April 12, May 12, June 11, July 10, August 9, September 7, October 7, November 5, December 4.

2. Which Purnima in 2026 is the most sacred? Sharad Purnima on October 7, 2026, is the most sacred — it is the night of maximum lunar brightness, associated with Krishna's Rasa Lila, and the occasion for the kheer-under-moonlight tradition that absorbs divine nectar (amrita).

3. What is the Purnima vrat method? Fast until moonrise. Perform Chandra Puja with white flowers, milk, and white sweets. Offer Arghya (water) to the rising Moon. Break the fast with Moon-prasad — typically kheer or milk sweets. Charitable giving is an essential part of the Purnima vrat.

4. Is Purnima auspicious for all activities? Purnima is universally auspicious for worship, meditation, charity, and spiritual practice. For weddings and griha pravesh, Purnima is generally favourable, but the complete muhurta assessment also checks Nakshatra, Vara, and Yoga. Avoid scheduling major activities when Purnima falls on a Bhadra Karana.

5. What is Dev Deepawali? Dev Deepawali is celebrated on Kartik Purnima (November 5, 2026) — the day the gods are said to descend to the Ganga Ghats to observe Diwali. The largest celebration is in Varanasi, where the ghats are lit with hundreds of thousands of lamps. It is considered a more sacred Diwali than the main Diwali (Amavasya) in some Vaishnava traditions.

6. Why is Guru Purnima observed in Ashadha? Ashadha Purnima is the birth anniversary of Maharishi Veda Vyasa — the systematiser of the Vedas and author of the Mahabharata and Puranas. He is the Adi Guru (first teacher) of the Vedic tradition. Guru Purnima honours all teachers in his lineage.

7. What is kheer on Sharad Purnima? Kheer (milk rice pudding) left under the open sky on Sharad Purnima night is said to absorb the divine nectar (amrita) that descends with the Moon's rays on this supremely luminous night. Consumed the next morning as prasad, it carries healing and auspicious properties.

8. Can Purnima vrat be observed by anyone? Yes. The Purnima vrat has no caste, gender, or tradition-specific restrictions. Anyone with devotion to the Moon, to Vishnu, or to Shiva can observe it in the form described above.

9. What is the Satyanarayan Puja connection to Purnima? The Skanda Purana's Satyanarayan Katha recommends Purnima as the ideal day for Satyanarayan Puja. This explains why Satyanarayan Puja is performed in many families on every Purnima — it is the prescribed occasion for this particular form of Vishnu worship.

10. How do I check the exact moonrise time for Purnima in 2026? Visit our Panchang page and select any of the 2026 Purnima dates. The Panchang displays the moonrise time for your location, which is the key moment for the Arghya offering in the Purnima vrat.