Purnima & Amavasya 2026: All Dates & Significance

July 18, 2026

The complete Purnima and Amavasya 2026 dates form the backbone of the Hindu lunar calendar. Purnima (the full moon) and Amavasya (the new moon) mark the two most spiritually charged tithis of every lunar month — days of fasting, worship, meditation, charity and ancestral rites. Because 2026 contains an Adhik Maas (Adhik Jyeshtha), the year has an extra Purnima, giving 13 full moon days. Below is the full-year list of Purnima and Amavasya 2026 dates.

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Purnima 2026 Dates — Full Moon Days

Here are all the Purnima 2026 dates. Tithi timings vary by location, so please confirm the exact muhurat and moonrise with a current panchang for your city.

Amavasya 2026 Dates — New Moon Days

Here are all the Amavasya 2026 dates, the new moon days ideal for ancestral rites, meditation and specific vratas.

A note on the Diwali Amavasya. Diwali 2026 is observed on 8 November 2026. The Kartik Amavasya tithi spans parts of both 8 and 9 November, so panchangs that list tithis by the udaya (sunrise) rule show the Amavasya date as 9 November, while Lakshmi Puja is performed on the evening of 8 November during Pradosh Kaal, when the Amavasya tithi prevails. Sarva Pitru Amavasya, the closing day of Pitru Paksha, is the separate Ashwin Amavasya on 10 October 2026. Confirm both muhurats against a current panchang for your own city.

Please treat the December Amavasya and any borderline tithi dates as approximate and confirm with an updated panchang, as timings can vary by region.

Significance of Purnima and Amavasya

Understanding the Purnima and Amavasya 2026 dates helps devotees align their worship with the moon’s cycle. Purnima, the full moon, is considered auspicious for Satyanarayan Puja, fasting, holy baths, charity and moon worship; many important festivals such as Guru Purnima, Raksha Bandhan, Buddha Purnima and Sharad Purnima fall on full moon days. Amavasya, the new moon, is significant for honouring ancestors through tarpan and shraddh, for meditation, and for specific observances such as Mauni Amavasya and Diwali (on Kartik Amavasya).

The full moon is also linked to the sacred number 108, used in japa and mala counting; explore the deeper meaning in our article on the significance of the number 108 in Hinduism.

Purnima & Amavasya Vrat Vidhi

A well-arranged pooja thali makes these lunar-day rituals seamless. For the full year of festivals and observances, refer to our Hindu festival calendar.

What to Do on Purnima

Purnima is traditionally treated as an outward, bright day — worship, community, giving. The observances most households keep are:

• Snan. A bath before sunrise, ideally in a river or by adding a little Ganga jal to the bathing water.
• Satyanarayan Puja and katha. The most common Purnima ritual, performed with panchamrit, banana leaves, tulsi and a sheera or panjiri prasad.
• Vrat through the day. Usually phalahar or a single satvik meal, kept until the moon is sighted.
• Chandra darshan and arghya. Water, milk, rice and white flowers are offered to the risen moon; many families offer kheer left under the moonlight, especially on Sharad Purnima.
• Daan. White items — rice, milk, sugar, white cloth — are traditionally donated on the full moon.
• Lakshmi worship. Several Purnimas, Sharad Purnima in particular, are traditionally kept for Goddess Lakshmi and for a night of jagran.

What to Do on Amavasya

Amavasya is the inward counterpart — quieter, turned toward the ancestors and toward stillness rather than celebration.

• Pitru tarpan. Water mixed with black sesame and kusha grass is offered to the departed, facing south, with the sacred thread worn over the right shoulder.
• Shraddh and pind daan where the family observes it, and food offered to a cow, a crow, a dog and a guest.
• Silence and meditation. Mauni Amavasya is named for exactly this — mauna, the discipline of silence.
• Deep daan. A lamp lit at dusk, traditionally under a pipal tree or at the threshold.
• Shani and pipal worship, particularly when an Amavasya falls on a Saturday (Shani Amavasya) or a Monday (Somvati Amavasya).
• Daan. Sesame, black cloth, iron, oil and food are the traditional Amavasya donations; many families also mark the day with a gau daan.

Amavasya is not an inauspicious day in itself. Tradition avoids starting new ventures, weddings and housewarmings on it, but deity worship, japa, meditation, charity and ancestral rites are all considered especially fruitful.

Why Amavasya Is Used for Pitru Rites

The association is old and consistent across the Puranas. The tithis of the lunar month are each assigned a presiding deity, and Amavasya is traditionally assigned to the Pitrs — the ancestors themselves. On a night with no moon, the ancestors are believed to be closest to the world of the living, and offerings of water and food are said to reach them most directly.

There is a practical logic to it as well. The Krishna Paksha, the waning fortnight, moves toward darkness and closure, and Amavasya is its final day — the natural point for remembrance rather than beginning. This is why every monthly Amavasya carries a tarpan, why the entire Pitru Paksha fortnight ends on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, and why anyone who has missed a parent’s tithi during the year is traditionally told to perform the rite on that day instead.

If you are planning the ancestral fortnight, our guide to Pitru Paksha 2026 shraddh dates, tithi and vidhi sets out the day-by-day observance. Families who believe their chart shows ancestral affliction may also want to read our guide to Pitra Dosh causes, signs and traditional remedies.

Purnima Vrat Rules

The Purnima vrat is gentler than most, but it does have its own shape:

• Take a sankalp in the morning after bathing, naming the vrat you intend to keep.
• Keep the fast as nirahar (no food), phalahar (fruit and milk) or a single satvik meal, according to your capacity.
• Grains, onion, garlic and non-vegetarian food are traditionally avoided for the whole day.
• The fast is broken after moonrise, once arghya has been offered — not at a clock time. On days when the moon rises late, families usually break it after the evening puja and the prasad.
• Anger, argument and idle talk are traditionally set aside for the day, along with cutting hair or nails.

As with any fast, if you are pregnant, unwell or on regular medication, please speak to your doctor before observing it.

Purnima vs Amavasya at a Glance

Purnima and Amavasya Puja Essentials

Both days need much the same setup, kept ready the previous evening so the morning goes to worship rather than to searching:

If you would rather have it all together, our spiritual combos group the common items into one set. For a tarpan or shraddh you cannot perform yourself, our online puja and pooja seva bookings arrange it with temple priests on your behalf.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Purnimas are there in 2026?

There are 13 Purnima (full moon) days in 2026 because of the Adhik Maas (Adhik Jyeshtha), which adds an extra full moon on 31 May 2026.

When is Mauni Amavasya in 2026?

Mauni Amavasya, the Magha new moon known for silent meditation and holy dips, falls on 18 January 2026.

Which Amavasya is Diwali in 2026?

Diwali is celebrated on the Kartik Amavasya. In 2026, Diwali falls on 8 November, with Lakshmi Puja performed that evening during Pradosh Kaal while the Amavasya tithi prevails. Because the tithi spans two days, some panchangs list the Amavasya date as 9 November. Confirm the exact Lakshmi Puja muhurat with a current panchang for your city.

What is the significance of Purnima?

Purnima is auspicious for Satyanarayan Puja, fasting, holy baths and charity, and hosts festivals like Guru Purnima, Buddha Purnima and Raksha Bandhan.

Why is Amavasya important for ancestors?

The new moon is traditionally observed for tarpan and shraddh; Sarva Pitru Amavasya especially is dedicated to honouring departed ancestors.

What is Somvati Amavasya?

Somvati Amavasya is an Amavasya that falls on a Monday, and it is traditionally considered especially auspicious. Married women observe a vrat and circumambulate a pipal tree, and the day is also kept for pitru tarpan. An Amavasya falling on a Saturday is called Shani Amavasya and is associated with Shani worship.

Can we do puja on Amavasya?

Yes. Amavasya is not inauspicious in itself. Tradition avoids beginning new ventures, weddings or housewarmings on it, but deity worship, japa, meditation, charity and ancestral rites are all considered especially fruitful on the new moon.

How is a Purnima vrat broken?

The Purnima fast is traditionally broken after moonrise, once arghya of water, milk and white flowers has been offered to the moon — not at a fixed clock time. On days when the moon rises late, families usually break it after the evening puja and prasad.

What should be donated on Amavasya?

Black sesame, oil, iron, black cloth and cooked food are the traditional Amavasya donations, along with feeding a cow, a crow or a person in need. Lighting a lamp at dusk, known as deep daan, is also traditionally considered meritorious.

Align your worship with every Purnima and Amavasya of 2026. Explore our handcrafted Pooja Thali collection to prepare a complete, sacred setup for your full moon and new moon rituals throughout the year.