Sharad Purnima 2027 Date – 14 October

The brightest full moon of the year

Sharad Purnima is the full moon of Ashvin, which ends the monsoon season and opens autumn (sharad ritu). It is the only full moon of the year when the moon is said to shine with all sixteen of its kalas (phases or qualities), and its light is believed to carry healing nourishment. The clear post-monsoon sky makes it one of the brightest-looking moons of the year.

Kheer in the moonlight

The best-known custom is to cook rice kheer in milk, cover it with a thin cloth or mesh and leave it on the terrace or courtyard overnight in the moonlight. It is eaten the next morning as prasad, in the belief that the moon's rays enrich it. Some temples, especially in Braj, make large batches and distribute them to devotees.

Kojagara: who is awake?

In Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Bihar and Maharashtra the night is Kojagara or Kojagiri. The name comes from 'ko jagarti?' – 'who is awake?' – the question Goddess Lakshmi is said to ask as she travels the earth on this night, blessing those who stay up. Bengali homes perform Lokkhi Puja with alpana designs, a puja of a kalash or a painted pot, and offerings of khichuri, puffed rice and coconut sweets. In Maharashtra, families gather late at night to drink saffron-cardamom masala milk under the moon.

Other traditions on this night

• Vrindavan and Braj – Sharad Purnima is linked to the Maha Raas, the night Krishna danced with the gopis, and temples dress the deities in white.
• Odisha – Kumara Purnima, when young girls worship the Sun and Moon and play traditional games, praying for a good husband.
• Gujarat – the last night of Garba is often held on Sharad Purnima.
• Valmiki Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the author of the Ramayana, falls on the same full moon.

Sharad Purnima puja samagri (what you need)

• Lakshmi picture or idol
• Kalash with water and mango leaves
• Rice and milk for kheer
• A fine cloth or mesh to cover the kheer
• White flowers
• Rice-flour paste for alpana or rangoli
• Chandan, roli and akshat
• Coconut sweets, puffed rice or batasha
• Fruit
• Diya and incense

How to do Sharad Purnima puja, step by step

1. Keep a fast through the day if that is your custom.
2. Clean the house and draw alpana or rangoli at the entrance and puja place.
3. In the evening, worship Lakshmi with chandan, akshat, flowers and sweets.
4. Offer arghya (water) to the moon after it rises.
5. Place the covered kheer in the moonlight and leave it overnight.
6. Stay awake for part of the night with bhajans or family time.
7. Next morning, offer the kheer to the deity and share it as prasad.