Loading page
इतिहास
The history, origin and significance of Sharad Purnima — where it comes from, what it means, and how it changed over time.
Sharad Purnima 2026: 25 October 20261 dayशरद पूर्णिमा
No login needed to share or download anything on TyoharHub.
Sharad Purnima is the full moon of the month of Ashwin, falling shortly after Dussehra. In 2026 it falls in late October. It is considered the brightest full moon of the year, and it is the night on which Lakshmi is believed to visit homes that are awake — from which the Bengali name Kojagari comes, meaning 'who is awake?'.
The central practice is simple and widely followed: kheer or rice pudding is made in the evening, left out in the open under the full moon overnight, and eaten the next morning. The belief is that the moonlight infuses the kheer with amrit, and there is a practical dimension to it too — the night is cool and the dew does set on the dish.
In Bengal, Kojagari Lakshmi Puja is a major household observance, with a full Lakshmi puja and a night-long vigil. In Gujarat and Rajasthan it is Sharad Purnima with a Lakshmi puja and a fast. In Odisha it is Kumar Purnima, and in Braj the night is Raas Purnima, marking Krishna's ras lila with the gopis — the subject of the entire Raas Lila performance tradition in Manipur and Braj.
It is also one of the days on which fasting is considered especially productive, and it directly follows the Navratri-Dussehra cluster, so it often serves as the last major festival before the Diwali season begins.
Almost every large Indian festival means something different in different states. That is not a contradiction — it is the history.
Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, a major household observance with a full puja, a night-long vigil, and a distinct arrangement including the owl as Lakshmi's vahan. It is one of Bengal's most important household pujas.
Sharad Purnima with kheer left under the moon, a Lakshmi puja, and fasting. In Braj, the night is Raas Purnima, tied to Krishna's ras lila.
Observed with a Lakshmi puja and the moonlight kheer custom, and considered a favourable night for the kojaagari vrat.
Celebrated as Kumar Purnima, when young people worship the moon and traditional games and puja are held. It is one of Odisha's distinctive autumn festivals.
Raas Purnima is the central date of the Manipuri Raas Lila, the classical dance-drama tradition performed at the Govindji temple in Imphal and elsewhere.
Free, no login, nothing you type leaves your device.