Pūrṇimā () is the word for full moon in Sanskrit. The day of Purnima is the day (''

Tithi In Vedic timekeeping, a ''tithi'' is a uration of two faces of moon that is observed from earth known as ''milа̄lyа̄'' (𑐩𑐶𑐮𑐵𑐮𑑂𑐫𑐵𑑅, मिलाल्याः) in Nepal Bhasa, or the time it takes for the longit ...

'') 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 ...

Festivals

The following festivals occur on Purnima. When the Manava Purana (one of Upa Purana) narrated The festivals of full moon days. *

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. * 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 Raksha Bandhan Quote: m Hindi ''rakśābandhan'' held on the full moon of the month of Savan, when sisters tie a talisman (rakhi q.v.) on the arm of their brothers and receive small gifts of money from them. is a popular and traditionally Hin ...

* Vat Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of

Jyeshta Jyeshtha or Jyēṣṭha ( sa, ज्येष्ठ; ne, जेठ ''jēṭ''; as, জেঠ ''zeth''; or, ଜ୍ୟେଷ୍ଠ ''Jyeṣṭha'') is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Jyestha is the third mon ...

. 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 *

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 Kurma ( sa, कूर्म; , 'Turtle', 'Tortoise'), is the second avatar of the Hindu preserver deity, Vishnu. Originating in Vedic literature such as the Yajurveda as being synonymous with the Saptarishi called Kashyapa, Kurma is most comm ...

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 Shakambhari Purnima () is a Hindu festival primarily observed in India in veneration of the goddess Shakambhari. It is observed in the month of Pausha, which usually corresponds with January. Shakambari Purnima is the last day in the 8-day long ...

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 Bhadra or Bhadrapada or Bhādo or Bhadraba (Bengali: ভাদ্র ''bhādro''; ) (Hindi: भादों ''bhādo''; )(Sanskrit: भाद्रपद ''bhādrapada'';) ( ne, भाद्र ''Bhādra'';) ( or, ଭାଦ୍ରବ ''Bhadraba;' ...

. 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. *

References

External links

Introduction to the Hindu Calendar (PDF)
{{HinduFestivals Observances held on the full moon Hindu calendar Days of the Hindu calendar