Dol Purnima (Bengal) 2027

Puja Vidhi

Who Celebrates This Festival?

• Devotees of Radha and Krishna: Families and temple devotees celebrate the divine play of Radha and Krishna with colours, songs, and prayer, seeking love, joy, and devotion (Bhakti).
• Followers of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: Many Vaishnava devotees in Bengal and Odisha also observe the day as Gaura Purnima, the birth of Sri Chaitanya.
• Families and Communities: Everyone joins in the spring celebration, applying colours on one another and welcoming the season of Basanta.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Morning Bath and Preparation: Done in the early morning, in Brahma Muhurta (the pre-dawn hours before sunrise) or soon after, before the day's puja begins.
• Puja Muhurat: The Radha Krishna puja is done in the morning on the Purnima (full moon) day. Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Dol Jatra: The idols are placed on a decorated swing or palanquin and carried in procession later in the day, with songs and colours.
• Evening Prayers: Families gather again after sunset for kirtan and prasad, often at the sight of the full Moon.

About the Festival

Dol Purnima, also called Dol Jatra or Basanta Utsav, is a much-loved Bengali festival of colour in which Radha and Krishna are worshipped on a swing (Dol). It takes place on the Purnima (full moon day) of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Phalguna.

The Katha (Story of Radha and Krishna's Play of Colours)

Long ago, in the village of Vrindavan, young Krishna was loved by all the cowherd families. He was dark in complexion, while his beloved Radha and the gopis were fair and radiant. Krishna often wondered, with a child's innocence, why Radha looked so different from him.

One day, Krishna spoke of this to his mother Yashoda. With a smile, she advised: "If you wish to make Radha look like you, then go and apply any colour you like on her face. She will then look as you wish." Delighted, Krishna took bright colours and, with his friends, went to Radha and the gopis.

Krishna playfully coloured Radha's face, and the gopis responded in joy, throwing colours back at him and his friends. The entire village rang with laughter, songs, and music. The play of colours showed that love does not see any difference of skin or station.

Pleased with this playful devotion, the villagers began to celebrate the day each year with colour and song. Since that day, devotees place Radha and Krishna on a swing, offer them abir, and celebrate Dol Purnima with joy and devotion. (In Bengal and Odisha, the day is also remembered as the birth of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.)

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the morning puja:

• Image / Idols: Idols or pictures of Radha and Krishna, with a small decorated swing (Dol) or palanquin
• Colours (Abir): Dry coloured powder (Abir and Gulal), especially red and yellow
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Chandan (sandalwood paste), Roli, and Akshat (unbroken rice grains)
• Lamps & Lights: A Ghee Diya, incense sticks, and a lamp for aarti
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): Sweets such as Malpua, Payesh, Sandesh, or Laddu, along with fruits and milk
• Devotional Accessories: Fresh flowers, Tulsi leaves, a garland, and Kalava (sacred red thread)

Puja Vidhi (Step-by-Step Guide)

Follow these step-by-step instructions carefully to perform the ritual correctly:

Step 1: Morning Preparation and Sankalp

1. Wake up early, bathe, and wear clean, light-coloured clothes (preferably white or yellow).
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Radha and Krishna, today I celebrate Dol Purnima with pure devotion. Bless my family with love, joy, and peace."
3. Many devotees keep a light fast or eat only sattvic food until the puja is complete.

Step 2: Preparing the Puja Altar (Morning)

1. Clean the place of worship and spread a clean cloth on a wooden stool (Chowki).
2. Place the idols of Radha and Krishna on the decorated swing or palanquin, and bathe them gently with water, milk, and Panchamrit, then dress them in fresh clothes.
3. Place a Kalash filled with water near the idols, with a few Tulsi leaves beside it.

Step 3: Performing the Rituals

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya and place it before the deities.
2. Applying Tilak: Apply Chandan, Roli, and Akshat to the idols.
3. Offering Colours & Flowers: Offer Abir at the feet of the deities first, then flowers, a garland, and Tulsi leaves.
4. Offering Naivedya: Place sweets, fruits, and milk before Radha and Krishna.

Step 4: Dol Jatra and Kirtan

1. Gently swing the Dol with devotion, and chant "Radhe Krishna" or sing Krishna bhajans.
2. Listen to or recite the story of the play of colours, and offer a few petals and Akshat at the deities' feet.
3. In temples and neighbourhoods, join the procession with kirtan, music, and dance, as the idols are carried through the streets.

Step 5: Aarti and Applying Colours

1. Perform the Radha Krishna Aarti using the lit Ghee lamp while singing devotional hymns.
2. Offer a pinch of Abir to the elders at their feet with respect, and then apply a gentle tilak of colour on family and friends.
3. Exchange greetings of the festival and forgive past quarrels, as the day is of joy and harmony.

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and Sharing Prasad

1. Touch the feet of the elders in your family to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh).
2. Distribute the sweet prasad among your family members, neighbours, and friends.
3. Break your fast, if you kept one, by partaking in the prasad and a simple sattvic meal.