Festival
Sharad Purnima 2026
Also known as Kojagari Purnima · Raas Purnima · Kaumudi Mahotsav
Sharad Purnima 2026 at a glance
Sharad Purnima 2026 is on Sunday 25 October. Families set out rice pudding under the open sky that night, to be bathed by the full moon's light before being eaten.
When it falls
Ashwin Shukla Purnima (full moon of the bright fortnight of Ashwin)
- 2026 · Sunday, 25 October 2026
- 2027 · Friday, 15 October 2027
Significance
Sharad Purnima falls on the full moon of the month of Ashwin, the month that marks the end of the rainy season and the opening of sharad (autumn). The tradition holds that on this one night of the year the moon is at its fullest, brightest and closest to the earth, and that moonlight itself carries healing and nourishment.
The stories attached to this night are rich. One of the most beloved is of Krishna's Raas Leela: the story goes that on this full-moon night Krishna danced the raas, the circle dance, with the gopis (cowherd women of Vrindavan) on the banks of the Yamuna, and that the night stretched beyond time, so absorbed were they all in that joy. For this reason the night is also called Raas Purnima, and in Mathura, Vrindavan and other Krishna-associated places the festival is especially exuberant.
A second story belongs to Lakshmi: it is said that on this night she walks the earth asking, "Ko jagarti?" — "Who is awake?" — and blesses those she finds watching. This gives the festival its Bengali and eastern name, Kojagari Purnima, and its custom of staying up through the night.
A third thread comes from Ayurveda, India's classical health system, which describes this full moon as uniquely potent: moonlight on this night is said to carry amrit (nectar), a kind of celestial nourishment. Setting food — especially kheer (rice pudding with milk) — under the open sky is a way of receiving that gift.
How it’s observed
The central practice is preparing kheer — milk simmered with rice and sweetened — and placing it in a wide, open vessel on the terrace, balcony or windowsill after moonrise, so the moonlight falls directly on it. In the morning, or after a few hours, families gather to eat it together. The kheer is considered especially auspicious on this night, absorbed as it is in the cool moonlight.
Many households keep a night-long jagran (vigil), singing devotional songs or telling stories. In West Bengal and Odisha, the Kojagari tradition means staying awake to welcome Lakshmi; families play cards or dice, keeping their eyes open until dawn. In Vrindavan and Mathura, grand Raas Leela performances are staged through the night. In Gujarat and Rajasthan, garba and dandiya dancing often accompanies the full moon.
For diaspora families, a balcony, open window or even a clean outdoor table works perfectly well for the kheer. The spirit of the night is company, moonlight and something sweet shared with people you love.
The timing, explained
Sharad Purnima is reckoned by the panchang (Vedic almanac) as Shukla Purnima, the fifteenth and final day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the lunar month of Ashwin. This is the amanta convention this almanac uses, where months run from new moon to new moon.
In the purnimanta reckoning used across much of north India, the same full moon is placed in the month of Kartik, though it falls on the identical night. The day is chosen by sunrise: whichever day Purnima is running at sunrise is observed as Sharad Purnima. The festival typically lands in October, and its night is often one of the clearest and brightest of the year as the monsoon clouds have cleared.
Questions people ask
What is Sharad Purnima and why is it special?
It is the full moon of the lunar month of Ashwin, marking the end of the monsoon season. Tradition holds that on this night the moon is at its most nourishing, and moonlight itself carries a kind of celestial goodness — making it a night for open-air feasting and devotion.
Why do people keep kheer outside on Sharad Purnima?
The tradition says the moonlight on this particular full moon is infused with nourishment. Placing kheer — rice pudding made with milk — under the open sky allows it to absorb that moonlight through the night. It is then eaten as blessed food the next morning or after a few hours.
What is Kojagari Purnima?
The same festival, by its Bengali and eastern Indian name. The word comes from the story that Lakshmi roams the earth on this night asking, 'Ko jagarti?' — 'Who is awake?' Families in Bengal and Odisha stay up through the night to welcome her.
What is Raas Purnima?
Another name for Sharad Purnima, used especially in Vaishnava communities. The story goes that Krishna performed the Raas Leela, the great circle dance with the gopis, on this very full-moon night. Grand dance and drama performances are held in Vrindavan and Mathura.
When does Sharad Purnima usually fall?
It follows the lunar calendar, landing in October most years, occasionally in late September. Because the lunar year is shorter than the solar one, the exact date shifts each year — but the night is typically one of the clearest of the year, with the monsoon behind it.
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