Pūrṇimā () is the word for
full moon in
Sanskrit. The day of Purnima is the day (''
Tithi'') in each month when the full moon occurs, and marks the division in each month between the two lunar
fortnights (
paksha
Paksha (also known as ''pakṣa''; sa, पक्ष, Nepal Bhasa: ''thwa'' and ''gа̄''; ) refers to a fortnight or a lunar phase in a month of the Hindu lunar calendar.
Literally meaning "side", a paksha is the period either side of the Fu ...
), and the Moon is aligned exactly in a straight line, called a
syzygy, with the Sun and Earth. Full moon is considered the third of the four primary phases of the Moon; the other three phases are
new moon
In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse.
...
, first quarter moon, and third quarter moon. The full moon shows 100% illumination, causes high
tides, and can concur with
lunar eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow. Such alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six months, during the full moon phase, when the Moon's orbital plane is closest to the plane of the Earth ...
s.
Festivals
The following festivals occur on Purnima. When the Manava Purana (one of Upa Purana) narrated The festivals of full moon days.
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Kartik Poornima
Kartika Purnima is a Hindu, Sikh and Jain cultural festival that is celebrated on Purnima (full moon day), the 15th (or 30th) lunar day of the month of Kartika. It falls in November or December of the Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian ...
, is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of
Kartik. It is also called
Tripura Purnima.
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Shravan Poornima, is the full moon day in
Shravan. This day has a
number of different names.
Hayagriva Jayanti and
Gayatri jayanti is also celebrated on Shravana Purnima. It is also known as
Raksha Bandhan
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Vat Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of
Jyeshta. Women pray for their husbands by tying threads around a banyan tree (''Vat'') on this day. It honors Savitri, the legendary wife of Satyavan who escaped death for her husband's life. It is the chosen day for worshipping
Yama deva
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Guru Purnima
Guru Purnima (Poornima) is a tradition dedicated to all the spiritual and academic Gurus, who are evolved or enlightened humans, ready to share their wisdom, based on Karma Yoga. It is celebrated as a festival in India, Nepal and Bhutan by Hi ...
, devotees offer puja (worship) to their Guru, on the full moon day of
Ashadha. This is well known as Vyasa Purnima (Sanskrit. व्यास) after the birthday of
Vyasa, the author of
Mahabharata who is declared as the guru of all in the
Shiva Purana.
Guru Pournima
/ref>
* Sharad Purnima or Kojagiri purnima, the Autumn Harvest Festival, on the full moon day of Ashvina.
* Buddha Purnima, the day of birth, enlightenment and death of Gautama Buddha, on the full moon day of Vaishakha. Kurma Jayanti is also celebrated on the day.
* Holi/ Phalgun Purnima, the Spring Festival of Colours in Hinduism/Buddhism/Jainism, the full moon day in Phalgun
Falgun or Phalgun (; ne, फाल्गुण) or Phagun ( as, ফাগুন) is the eleventh month of the year in the Bengali calendar, the Assamese calendar, and the Nepali calendar. In the revision of the Bengali calendar used in Bangladesh ...
.
* Dattātreya Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Margashira
Agrahāyaṇa or Mārgaśīrṣa, (Hindi:
अगहन - agahana; मार्गशीर्ष - Mārgaśirṣa) is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, ''Agrahāyaṇa'' is the ninth month of the year, beginning ...
.
* Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon of the lunar month Chaitra. However, this is celebrated on different days in different states. While Orissa celebrates this as Vaisakha Sankranti, Andhra Pradesh celebrates Vaisakha shukla paksha dashami, Kerala celebrates it in a previous month Margashira Amavasya
Amāvásyā () is the lunar phase of the new moon in Sanskrit.
Indian calendars use 30 lunar phases, called tithi in India. The dark moon tithi is when the Moon is within 12 degrees of the angular distance between the Sun and Moon before conjun ...
coinciding with Mula
Mula may refer to:
Places
* Mula, Iran, a village in Mazandaran Province, Iran
* Mula, Maldives, an island in the Maldives
* Mula, Spain, a town in the autonomous community of Murcia, Spain
* Muľa, a village and municipality in southern Slovaki ...
Nakshatra
Nakshatra ( sa, नक्षत्रम्, translit=Nakṣatram) is the term for lunar mansion in Hindu astrology and Indian Astronomy. A nakshatra is one of 27 (sometimes also 28) sectors along the ecliptic. Their names are related to a ...
. Chaitra Purnima is the chosen day for donation of rice to please Sri Chandra Deva, Moon god.
* Shakambhari Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Pausha
* Shraddha Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of Bhaadra. On this day Uma Maheswara Vrata as well as Shakra Vrata where Indra
Indra (; Sanskrit: इन्द्र) is the king of the devas (god-like deities) and Svarga (heaven) in Hindu mythology. He is associated with the sky, lightning, weather, thunder, storms, rains, river flows, and war. volumes/ref> I ...
is worshiped for children .well-being.
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References
External links
Introduction to the Hindu Calendar (PDF)
{{HinduFestivals
Observances held on the full moon
Hindu calendar
Days of the Hindu calendar