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Sharad Purnima 2026: 25 October

Sunday, 25 October 2026

Ashwin Shukla Purnima

In 18 days
Sharad Purnima night: a bowl of kheer half-covered with muslin on a rooftop ledge under the full moon, with a lit diya beside it
Image: made with AI

Moonrise and Kojagara puja

MoonriseThen keep the kheer in the moonlight
5:00 PM
Kojagara puja (Nishita Kaal)Eighth muhurat of the night
11:40 PM–12:31 AM (26 Oct)
Purnima tithi
11:57 AM to 9:42 AM (26 Oct)

For Sunday, 25 October 2026, in Indian Standard Time, from the chosen city’s sunrise, sunset and planetary positions. Differences of 1–2 minutes between panchangs are normal. How we calculate

In short

Sharad Purnima 2026 is on Sunday, 25 October. It is the Purnima (full moon) of Ashwin, also called Kojagari Purnima. On this night Lakshmi is worshipped and people keep vigil, and kheer is made and left in the moonlight all night, to be eaten as prasad the next morning. See the moonrise and puja time for your city below.

Edited by the SanatanBodh editorial teamLast updated: 4 sourcesDrafted with AI, checked against sourcesReport a mistake

City-wise times: Moonrise

Pick your city for its full timings, nearby cities and common questions.

At a glance

Tithi
Ashwin Shukla Purnima
Also called
Kojagari (Kojagara) Purnima, Raas Purnima; Kumar Purnima in Odisha
Worshipped
Lakshmi (Kojagara Puja) and the Moon
Puja time
Nishita Kaal of the night, while Purnima tithi lasts
Folk custom
Making kheer and leaving it in the moonlight all night
In Braj
Remembering Shri Krishna’s Maha-raas
On this day
Valmiki Jayanti (by tradition)

Kojagara: "Who is awake?"

The name Kojagara is linked to the Sanskrit "ko jagarti" ("who is awake?"). By tradition, on this night Lakshmi roams the earth asking this question, and blesses with wealth and plenty those who stay awake and worship her. That is why Lakshmi Puja and a night vigil (jagaran) are performed. According to the nirnaya texts (works that settle ritual timing), such as the Dharmasindhu, Kojagara Puja is performed on the night when Purnima tithi prevails during Nishita Kaal (around midnight).

Kheer in the moonlight

Folk belief holds that on this Purnima alone in the year the moon is full with all sixteen kalas (digits), and that its rays carry a trace of amrita. So kheer (rice cooked in milk) is made, covered with a thin cloth and left in the open moonlight all night, and the next morning it is shared as prasad. This is a folk tradition, not a rite laid down in any scripture.

In different regions

Braj: the Maha-raas

The Bhagavata Purana describes Shri Krishna’s raas (circle dance) with the gopis in Vrindavan on the moonlit nights of autumn. Braj tradition links this Maha-raas to Sharad Purnima, and the temples of Mathura and Vrindavan hold special celebrations on this night.

Bhagavata Purana 10.29–10.33; Braj tradition

Bengal: Kojagari Lakshmi Puja

On this Purnima, which comes after Durga Puja, Lakshmi Puja is performed in homes across Bengal, with a vigil through the night.

Folk tradition

Odisha: Kumar Purnima

In Odisha it is called Kumar Purnima; unmarried young women fast and worship the Moon.

Folk tradition

Maharashtra and Gujarat

In Maharashtra, on the night of Kojagiri Purnima, milk flavoured with saffron and dry fruits is drunk in the moonlight; in Gujarat, Sharad Poonam is marked with garba and doodh-pauva (flattened rice in milk).

Folk tradition

How to perform the puja

  1. Step 1

    Fast and sankalpa

    Many people keep the Purnima fast on this day; after bathing, take a sankalpa (resolve) as per your tradition.

  2. Step 2

    Arghya to the Moon

    After moonrise, offer arghya to the Moon with water, or water mixed with milk.

  3. Step 3

    Kheer in the moonlight

    Make kheer with milk and rice, cover it with a thin cloth and keep it in the open moonlight.

  4. Step 4

    Lakshmi Puja at night

    In Nishita Kaal, worship Lakshmi, recite the Shri Suktam or a Lakshmi stotra, and keep a vigil.

  5. Step 5

    Prasad in the morning

    The next morning, offer the kheer as bhog and share it as prasad (folk tradition).

The story

The Maha-raas on an autumn night

According to the Bhagavata Purana, on a night of autumn, when the mallika (jasmine) flowers were in bloom and the full moon rose in the east, Shri Krishna began a sweet melody on his flute in Vrindavan. Hearing it, the gopis left whatever they were doing and came to the forest. Shri Krishna danced the raas with them; when pride entered the gopis’ hearts, he vanished. The gopis searched for him from grove to grove and sang songs of longing; then he appeared again, and the Maha-raas took place on the bank of the Yamuna, in which a Krishna was seen between every two gopis. Braj tradition links this Maha-raas to the night of Sharad Purnima.

Bhagavata Purana 10.29–10.33Read the full katha

Verses

भगवानपि ता रात्रीः शारदोत्फुल्लमल्लिकाः।वीक्ष्य रन्तुं मनश्चक्रे योगमायामुपाश्रितः॥
Seeing those autumn nights, in which the mallika (jasmine) flowers had blossomed, the Lord too, taking the support of Yogamaya, set his mind on the play of the raas.Bhagavata Purana 10.29.1
दृष्ट्वा कुमुद्वन्तमखण्डमण्डलं रमाननाभं नवकुङ्कुमारुणम्।वनं च तत्कोमलगोभी रञ्जितं जगौ कलं वामदृशां मनोहरम्॥
Seeing the moon with its full, unbroken disc, glowing like the face of Lakshmi and red like fresh kumkum, and the forest coloured by its gentle rays, Shri Krishna began a sweet melody that captivated the hearts of the gopis.Bhagavata Purana 10.29.3

Sharad Purnima: relations

See in the knowledge graph

Deities, figures and sages 3

  • Lakshmi · Deity worshippedTradition (night puja on Ashwin Purnima)
  • Krishna · Deity worshippedBhagavata Purana 10.29–10.33; Braj tradition
  • Valmiki · Jayanti on this dayTradition

Scriptures and mantras 1

  • Bhagavata Purana · Source of the story (Raas Lila)Bhagavata Purana 10.29–10.33

Frequently asked questions

When is Sharad Purnima 2026?

On Sunday, 25 October.

Is Sharad Purnima on 25 October or 26 October?

The night of 25 October (Sunday). Purnima tithi runs from 11:57 AM on 25 October to 9:42 AM on 26 October. The Sharad Purnima fast, the Kojagara puja and the kheer in the moonlight (a folk custom) belong to the Purnima night, and that night (Nishita Kaal) is the night of 25 October. On 26 October Purnima holds at sunrise, so panchangs (Drik Panchang too) list that day as Ashwina Purnima.

Why is kheer kept in the moonlight on Sharad Purnima?

Folk belief holds that on this night the moon is full with all sixteen kalas and that its rays carry a trace of amrita. The kheer is left in the moonlight all night and eaten in the morning as prasad. It is a folk tradition, not a rite laid down in any scripture.

What time will the moon rise on Sharad Purnima, 25 October, and when is the Kojagara Puja?

Moonrise on Sunday, 25 October 2026: New Delhi 5:00 PM, Lucknow 4:47 PM, Jaipur 5:08 PM, Patna 4:31 PM, Chandigarh 4:59 PM, Indore 5:12 PM, Mumbai 5:28 PM, Kolkata 4:21 PM, Bengaluru 5:15 PM. The Kojagara Puja is done in the Nishita Kaal of the night while Purnima lasts: in New Delhi 11:40 PM–12:31 AM (26 Oct). By folk tradition the kheer is kept in the moonlight at night. Other cities are in the list above.

What is the difference between Sharad Purnima and Kojagari Purnima?

There is none; they are two names for Ashwin Purnima. The name "Kojagari" is linked to the night’s Lakshmi Puja and vigil.

Is Valmiki Jayanti on the same day?

Yes, by tradition the jayanti of Maharishi Valmiki is celebrated on Ashwin Purnima.

Sources

  1. Bhagavata Purana 10.29–10.33 (the Raas Lila)
  2. Dharmasindhu (ruling on the Kojagara vrat)
  3. Folk tradition
  4. Muhurat and moonrise: SanatanBodh panchang calculation, checked against Drik Panchang (New Delhi, 2026–27)

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