About Sharad Purnima
Sharad Purnima is the full moon of the Hindu month of Ashwin, five days after Dussehra, when many Hindus keep kheer out in the moonlight and worship Lakshmi and the moon. In 2026 it falls on Sunday, 25 October 2026. Bengal, Assam and Tripura keep it as Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, Odisha as Kumar Purnima, Maharashtra as Kojagiri and Mithila as Kojagara.
The monsoon is over, the sky is clear, and the moon that rises five days after Dussehra is the brightest many Indians will see all year. Sharad Purnima is the night families stay up for it: to leave a bowl of kheer on the terrace, to wait for Lakshmi, or, in Odisha, for girls to see the moon rise.
When is Sharad Purnima, and how is its date set?
Sharad Purnima falls on the Purnima, or full moon, of the lunar month of Ashwin, in late September or October. Because Hindu months run from new moon to new moon or full moon to full moon, the date moves by about eleven days a year against the Gregorian calendar and jumps when an extra month is added.
What matters for Sharad Purnima is the night, not the morning. The festival is kept on the evening when the Purnima tithi is running at moonrise and through the night. For Kojagara Lakshmi Puja, panchangs such as Drik Panchang prefer the day when Purnima covers Nishita, the middle of the night. When the full moon tithi straddles two calendar days, the moonlit festival can fall on one date and the Purnima fast on the next, so two calendars may list different days and both be right for what they measure.
The next day begins the month of Kartik in the northern calendar. Karwa Chauth follows four days later and Diwali about a fortnight after that.
Why is kheer kept in the moonlight on Sharad Purnima?
Kheer is kept in the moonlight on Sharad Purnima because of a belief that on this night alone the moon shines with all sixteen of its kalas, or phases of perfection, and that its rays carry amrit, nectar, into whatever they touch. Families make rice kheer in the evening, cover it with a fine cloth, and leave it on a terrace or courtyard overnight. In the morning it is offered and eaten as prasad. Many older people treat it as good for health after the monsoon.
The same sixteen kalas explain the Krishna link. In Vaishnava tradition Krishna embodied all sixteen, and in the Braj country around Mathura and Vrindavan the night is Raas Purnima, the night of the Maha-Raas, when Krishna is said to have danced with the gopis through a night that stretched on. Vrindavan's temples hold special darshan and raas performances.
Drik Panchang also records that newly married women often begin their year of Purnima fasts on this day.
How is Sharad Purnima celebrated in different regions?
The same full moon carries a different festival in almost every region, and the name tells you what the household is doing.
| Region | Name | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Bengal, Assam, Tripura | Kojagari (Kojagori) Lakshmi Puja | Kojagari comes from "ko jagarti", who is awake. Lakshmi is believed to visit homes that stay up. Women draw alpana, set up a clay image or picture of Lakshmi, read the Lokkhi Panchali and offer khichuri, labra, payesh and narkel naru. It is the first big puja after Durga Puja. |
| Odisha | Kumar Purnima | Unmarried girls wear new clothes, offer grain and fruit to the rising sun near the tulsi, and in the evening offer chanda chakata, a moon-shaped prasad, to the moon. They sing Kumar Purnima songs and play puchi, a squatting game, and pasha, dice. It honours Kumar, or Kartikeya. |
| Mithila, Bihar | Kojagara | A bhaar of makhana, paan, batasha, khaja, fruit and clothes goes from a new bride's family to the groom's home, where the groom is honoured before the family and the village. |
| Maharashtra | Kojagiri Purnima | Families boil masala doodh with saffron and dry fruits, set it under the moon and drink it late at night, and the eldest child of the family is honoured. |
| Gujarat | Sharad Poonam | Garba is danced under the full moon, a last round after Navratri. |
| Braj, Uttar Pradesh | Raas Purnima | Krishna temples in Mathura and Vrindavan celebrate the Maha-Raas. |
| Nepal | Kojagrat Purnima | The night closes the fifteen-day Dashain festival. |
The same full moon is also Valmiki Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the sage traditionally credited with the Ramayana.
What should you write on Sharad Purnima?
The best Sharad Purnima message fits the household's version of the night. For a Bengali family it is a Lakshmi Puja wish; for an Odia friend, a Kumar Purnima greeting; for Marathi friends, something about the late-night milk. If you are not sure, a wish about moonlight, a full home and good health works for everyone.
Shubho Kojagori Lokkhi Pujo. Hope Ma Lokkhi finds your lamp lit and your door open tonight, and that there's narkel naru left for me.
Sharad Purnima ki shubhkamnayein, Maa and Papa. Keep a bowl of kheer on the terrace for me; I'll be home for the next one.
Kumar Purnima ra shubhechha. Wishing all the girls at home a bright moonrise and a happy evening of songs and games.
Happy Kojagiri. May the masala doodh be strong, the moon be bright, and the conversation last past midnight.
Kojagara ki shubhkamnayein. Enjoy the makhana and paan, and the attention; it only comes once.
Happy Sharad Purnima. Wishing you a clear sky tonight and a calm, bright season ahead.
Do
- Use the family's own name for the night: Kojagari, Kumar Purnima, Kojagiri or Kojagara.
- Check the local panchang for the night of the full moon; Bengal and north India sometimes keep it on different dates.
- If you are invited to a Lakshmi Puja, arrive before the puja begins and accept the prasad with your right hand.
Avoid
- Don't turn up empty-handed to a Kojagari puja; fruit or sweets are the norm.
- Avoid making the kheer or taking photos of it during a lunar eclipse in a household that observes sutak.
- Don't assume every Hindu family marks it; for many it is a quiet full moon.
- Ashwin
- The lunar month, usually September to October, whose full moon is Sharad Purnima.
- Kala
- One of the sixteen phases of the moon's perfection.
- Kojagari
- From "ko jagarti", who is awake; Lakshmi's question on this night.
- Nishita
- The middle part of the night, used to choose the day for Kojagara Puja.
- Chanda chakata
- The moon-shaped offering made by girls on Kumar Purnima in Odisha.
- Bhaar
- The gift hamper sent to a new groom's family for Kojagara in Mithila.
- Lokkhi Panchali
- The Bengali verse narrative of Lakshmi read during the puja.
The festival season that leads up to this full moon runs through Sharad Navratri and Durga Puja. For every date, see the 2026 calendar.
How to wish someone on Sharad Purnima
Sharad Purnima wishes are about moonlight, a full home and a quiet night with family. Use the name the household uses: "Shubho Kojagori Lokkhi Pujo" for Bengali friends, Kumar Purnima for an Odia household, Kojagiri for Marathi friends. Mention the kheer or the masala milk, and keep it gentle; this is a night of staying awake together, not of noise.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is Sharad Purnima in 2026 and 2027?
Sharad Purnima is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 11 days earlier than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027may vary by location
Frequently asked questions
When is Sharad Purnima in 2026?
Sharad Purnima 2026 falls on Sunday, 25 October 2026.
Why is Sharad Purnima also called Kojagari Purnima?
Kojagari comes from the Sanskrit "ko jagarti", meaning "who is awake?". Tradition in Bengal, Assam and elsewhere holds that Lakshmi visits homes on this full moon night and blesses those who stay awake, so families keep a night vigil.
Why is kheer kept under the moon on Sharad Purnima?
Hindu tradition holds that on Sharad Purnima the moon shines with all sixteen kalas and its rays carry amrit, nectar. Kheer is left in the moonlight overnight so it absorbs that blessing, then eaten as prasad the next morning.
What is Kumar Purnima in Odisha?
Kumar Purnima is Odisha's name for the Ashwin full moon. Unmarried girls offer prayers to the sun in the morning and to the moon in the evening, play games like puchi and pasha, and pray for a good husband, in honour of Kumar, or Kartikeya.
Why can Kojagari Lakshmi Puja fall on a different date from Sharad Purnima?
Kojagari Lakshmi Puja is kept on the night when the Purnima tithi covers Nishita, the middle of the night, while other calendars fix Sharad Purnima by moonrise. When the full moon tithi spans two days, the two rules can point to different dates.
Is Valmiki Jayanti on Sharad Purnima?
Yes. Valmiki Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the sage traditionally credited with composing the Ramayana, is observed on the Ashwin full moon, the same day as Sharad Purnima.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .