Narali Purnima (Maharashtra, Goa) 2027

Puja Vidhi

Who Should Perform This Puja?

• Fishing Communities: Fishermen, especially the Koli community of the Konkan coast, honour the sea on this day before they set out for the new fishing season.
• Families Along the Coast: Families in coastal Maharashtra and Goa offer a coconut to the sea to seek the blessings of Lord Varuna (Varuna Devta) for safety and prosperity.
• Households Everywhere: Any family may take part by worshipping a coconut at home and sharing the festive sweets.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Morning Puja: The coconut puja is done after the morning bath, in the early part of the day. Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Offering to the Sea: The coconut is offered to the sea later in the day, usually in the afternoon (Aparahna) or around sunset, when the family or community goes to the shore.
• Festive Meal: Once the offering is made, the family sits down to Narali Bhat and other coconut sweets.

About the Festival

Narali Purnima is a much-loved Maharashtrian and Goan festival in which the sea is worshipped with the offering of a coconut (narali). It takes place on the Purnima (full moon day) of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Shravana.

The Katha (The Story Behind Narali Purnima)

Along the western coast, fishing families have always lived by the mercy of the sea. Their boats, their nets, and the food on their tables all depend on the waves, and so they have long regarded the sea as a living deity, with Lord Varuna, the god of the waters, as its lord.

During the monsoon months the sea grows rough and stormy, and it is unsafe to take a boat out. The fishermen stay on land, mend their nets, and wait. By Shravana Purnima the fury of the monsoon begins to ease, and the fishing season is about to open again.

Before taking from the sea once more, the community bows to it with thanks and offers a coconut (narali), the fruit that is considered pure and is used in nearly every Hindu ritual, asking Lord Varuna to keep their boats safe and their nets full.

Following this tradition, the fishermen dress in their finest clothes, gather at the shore, and offer a coconut to the sea with prayers, songs, and drums. Since that day, Narali Purnima has marked the reopening of the sea to the fishing season.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the morning puja:

• Coconut: A fresh whole coconut with its tuft (narali), one for each offering
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Roli, Kumkum, and Akshat (unbroken rice grains)
• Lamps & Lights: A brass or clay Diya with Ghee and cotton wick
• Flowers & Leaves: Fresh flowers, Betel leaves (paan), and Betel nuts (supari)
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): Narali Bhat (sweet coconut rice) and other coconut sweets such as Karanji or Naral Vadi
• Devotional Accessories: Incense sticks, camphor, and a 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, auspicious clothes (traditional new clothes are common on this day).
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Lord Varuna, today I worship you with a coconut. Protect our family and all who travel on the waters, and bless us with safety and prosperity."
3. Clean the puja space and the entrance of your home, and decorate the doorway with mango leaves and flowers.

Step 2: Preparing the Puja Altar

1. Place a clean Chowki (wooden stool) covered with a fresh cloth in the puja space.
2. Wash the coconut, then set it on a small mound of rice grains on the Chowki.
3. Place the Diya, flowers, and the Naivedya within easy reach.

Step 3: Worshipping the Coconut

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya before the coconut.
2. Applying Tilak: Apply Roli, Kumkum, and Akshat to the coconut.
3. Offering Flowers & Threads: Offer fresh flowers and tie a piece of Kalava around the coconut.
4. Offering Naivedya: Place the Narali Bhat and coconut sweets before the coconut, along with betel leaf and nut.

Step 4: Prayers to Lord Varuna

1. Fold your hands and pray to Lord Varuna, remembering the sea as the giver of food and livelihood.
2. Chant the name of Lord Varuna and recite any prayers your family follows, with deep focus and devotion.
3. Wave incense and camphor before the coconut to close the puja.

Step 5: Offering the Coconut to the Sea

1. Carry the worshipped coconut to the nearest sea, river, or other sacred water, along with the family (coastal communities go in a procession with songs and drums).
2. Stand at the water's edge and offer the coconut with folded hands, praying for safe journeys and a good harvest from the sea.
3. Offer a little Akshat and flowers to the water as well. (Families who live far from the sea offer the coconut at a river or pond.)

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 Narali Bhat and coconut sweets among your family, neighbours, and friends.
3. Sit together for the festive meal, with thanks to Lord Varuna for his protection.