Sharad Purnima 2027

Puja Vidhi

Who Should Do This Vrat?

• Devotees of Goddess Lakshmi: Families observe the night vigil to seek the blessings of Maa Lakshmi for wealth, prosperity, and wellbeing (Dhan-Samriddhi).
• Unmarried Girls (Kumar Purnima, Odisha): Girls observe the day in Odisha, worshipping the Sun and the Moon and praying for a good husband and a happy life.
• Devotees of Lord Krishna: In Uttar Pradesh and Braj, devotees celebrate the night as Raas Purnima, remembering Krishna's divine Raas with the Gopis.

When Should This Be Performed?

• Morning Preparation: Bathe early and take the Sankalp. In Odisha, the Kumar Purnima rituals begin in the morning (the day is kept from sunrise).
• Lakshmi Puja: The main puja is done at night, around Nishita Kaal (around midnight), when the Goddess is said to ask "Ko Jagarti?" (Who is awake?). Check the puja muhurat for your city on this page.
• Moon Sighting (Chandra Darshan): Offer prayers to the full Moon once it has risen in your city; moonrise differs from city to city, so check the moonrise time for your city on this page.
• Kheer in Moonlight: The kheer is kept under the moonlight through the night and eaten as prasad afterwards.

About the Festival

Sharad Purnima is a joyous, widely celebrated festival across India in which devotees worship Goddess Lakshmi and the full Moon at its brightest of the year. It takes place on the Purnima (fifteenth day) of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Ashwin.

The Vrat Katha (Story of the Two Sisters)

Once upon a time, a moneylender had two daughters. Both sisters used to keep the fast of Sharad Purnima. The elder sister completed the vrat with full faith, but the younger sister, unable to bear the hunger, broke her fast before it was time.

Because the younger sister's vow remained incomplete, the children born to her did not survive. Heartbroken, she asked a learned Brahmin what she had done wrong, and he explained that her unfinished vrat was the cause. He advised her: "Observe the Purnima fast of Sharad with full devotion and discipline, from morning until the Moon rises, and complete it with a pure heart."

She followed his words and kept the vrat completely. When her next child was born and soon passed away, she laid the child on a stool and covered it with a cloth, and called her elder sister to sit there.

As the elder sister sat, her skirt touched the child, and the child began to cry. The elder sister said, "You would have blamed me for the death of your child!" The younger sister replied, "He was already dead; it is by the merit of your vrat that he is alive." Since that day, the people of the town have kept the Sharad Purnima vrat with full faith and devotion.

Samagri List (Items Needed)

Gather these items before starting the night puja:

• Image / Murti: Picture or idol of Maa Lakshmi (and Lord Vishnu or Lord Krishna, if you wish)
• Tilak & Sacred Powder: Roli, Kumkum, and Akshat (unbroken rice grains)
• Lamps & Lights: A brass or clay Diya with Ghee and cotton wick, and several more Diyas for the night
• Sacred Water Container: A Kalash or small vessel filled with fresh water
• Food Offerings (Naivedya): Kheer made with milk, rice, and sugar (kept in moonlight), along with fruits, Paan, and Supari
• Devotional Accessories: Lotus or other fresh flowers, sacred thread (kalava), and Incense (Dhoop)

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 during Brahma Muhurta, bathe, and wear clean, auspicious clothes.
2. Take a small amount of water in your right palm and take a Sankalp (solemn vow): "O Divine Mother Lakshmi, today I observe this vrat and keep the night vigil with a pure heart. Bless my home with prosperity, health, and peace."
3. Observe the fast through the day, eating only fruits or a single sattvic meal, according to your family's tradition. (In Odisha, girls keep the fast and make offerings to the Sun in the morning.)

Step 2: Preparing the Puja Altar (Evening)

1. Clean the northeastern corner (Ishan Kone) of your room or home, and decorate it with rangoli (Alpana in Bengal).
2. Place the image of Maa Lakshmi on a wooden stool (Chowki) covered with a clean red or yellow cloth.
3. Place the Kalash filled with water near the Goddess, and prepare the kheer in a clean vessel.

Step 3: Performing the Night Rituals

1. Lighting the Lamp: Light a Ghee Diya and place it in front of Maa Lakshmi, along with several more Diyas around the altar.
2. Applying Tilak: Apply Roli, Kumkum, and Akshat to the image of the Goddess.
3. Offering Flowers & Threads: Offer fresh lotus or other flowers and tie a piece of Kalava around the Kalash.
4. Offering Naivedya: Place the kheer, fruits, and Paan before the Goddess.

Step 4: Reciting the Vrat Katha

1. Hold a few grains of rice and a few flower petals in your right hand.
2. Sit respectfully before the altar and recite or listen to the Sharad Purnima Vrat Katha with deep focus and devotion.
3. After the story, sprinkle the held grains at the Goddess's feet and at the base of the Kalash.

Step 5: Aarti and Moonlight Kheer (Moon Sighting)

1. Perform the Lakshmi Aarti using the lit Ghee lamp while singing devotional hymns.
2. Once the Moon rises, offer prayers and water (Arghya) to the Moon, and place the vessel of kheer under the moonlight, covering it with a thin cloth.
3. Keep the night vigil (Jagran) by singing bhajans and Lakshmi stotras, as the Goddess is said to visit homes where devotees stay awake.

Step 6: Seeking Blessings and Sharing Prasad

1. Touch the feet of the elders in your family to seek their blessings (Charan Sparsh).
2. Offer the kheer, now charged with moonlight, to the Goddess, and distribute it among your family members.
3. Break your fast by eating the kheer prasad and a simple sattvic meal.