What Is Purnima? Quick Answer
Purnima is the full moon day — the 15th tithi of Shukla Paksha, when the moon is 180° from the sun and fully illuminated. It comes about every 29.5 days and is considered one of the most auspicious days of the month for fasting, Satyanarayan puja, holy dips, charity and offering arghya to the moon. Many major festivals fall on Purnima — Holi, Hanuman Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Guru Purnima, Raksha Bandhan, Sharad Purnima and Kartik Purnima. Sometimes the Purnima vrat (kept on the day Purnima prevails at moonrise) and the snan-daan Purnima (by sunrise tithi) fall on different days.
Purnima Dates 2027 (New Delhi)
| Date | Day | Purnima | Festival |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jan | Fri | Pausha | Shakambhari Purnima, Magh snan begins |
| 20 Feb | Sat | Magha | Magha Purnima |
| 22 Mar | Mon | Phalguna | Holi (Holika Dahan 21 Mar) |
| 20 Apr | Tue | Chaitra | Hanuman Jayanti |
| 20 May | Thu | Vaishakha | Buddha Purnima |
| 18 Jun | Fri | Jyeshtha | Vat Purnima |
| 18 Jul | Sun | Ashadha | Guru Purnima |
| 16–17 Aug | Mon–Tue | Shravana | Raksha Bandhan 17 Aug (vrat 16 Aug) |
| 15 Sep | Wed | Bhadrapada | Pitru Paksha begins 16 Sep |
| 14–15 Oct | Thu–Fri | Ashwina | Sharad Purnima 14 Oct |
| 13–14 Nov | Sat–Sun | Kartika | Kartik Purnima 14 Nov (vrat 13 Nov), Dev Deepawali |
| 13 Dec | Mon | Margashirsha | Dattatreya Jayanti |
How to Observe
- 1Bathe early (holy river if possible), offer arghya to the Sun.
- 2Fast — phalahar or one meal.
- 3Worship Vishnu-Lakshmi; many perform the Satyanarayan katha.
- 4Give charity — grain, clothes, sweets.
- 5Offer arghya to the moon after moonrise with milk-water.
- 6Break the fast after arghya.
Significance
The full moon symbolises completeness. Astrologically the moon (mind) is strongest, so prayer and meditation are powerful. Purnima is also when lunar eclipses can occur.
Satyanarayan Katha and Moon Arghya
Many North Indian families hold the Satyanarayan Katha on Purnima: set up a picture of Lord Vishnu with a kalash, decorate with banana leaves, offer panchamrit, tulsi, yellow flowers and fruit, prepare panjiri or sheera as prasad, read the five chapters of the katha, then do aarti and share prasad.
The Purnima fast ends after moonrise with arghya to the Moon — water mixed with raw milk, rice and white flowers, offered while chanting "Om Som Somaya Namah". Scientifically, Purnima also brings spring tides, because the Sun and Moon line up on opposite sides of the Earth.
Summary
Purnima is the full-moon tithi — ideal for fasting, Satyanarayan puja, charity and moon arghya — and the date of many festivals. See the 2027 list above, and Amavasya for the new-moon counterpart.
