Purnima & Amavasya 2026: All Dates & Significance

Quick Answer: Next Purnima and Amavasya

The next Amavasya in 2026 falls on 10 September, a Thursday. The next Purnima falls on 26 September, a Saturday, the Bhadrapada Purnima. The year 2026 holds 13 Purnima days and 12 Amavasya days, because of an extra lunar month called Adhik Maas. Confirm exact tithi timing for your city before you begin any vrat.

What Are Purnima and Amavasya?

Purnima means full moon. Amavasya means new moon. Both mark the fifteenth tithi, the lunar day, at the close of each half of the Hindu month.

Every lunar month splits into two halves. Shukla Paksha is the bright, waxing fortnight that ends on Purnima. Krishna Paksha is the dark, waning fortnight that ends on Amavasya.

A full lunar month, new moon to new moon, runs close to 29.53 days. Purnima falls roughly midway, about 14.77 days after the preceding Amavasya.

2026 carries an extra month, Adhik Jyeshtha. This gives the year 13 Purnima days instead of the usual 12, while the Amavasya count stays at 12.

Purnima 2026 Dates: Full Moon Days

Here is the full list of Purnima 2026 dates. Tithi start and end times vary by city, so confirm the exact muhurat with a current panchang before your puja.

Amavasya 2026 Dates: New Moon Days

Here is the full list of Amavasya 2026 dates, the new moon days kept for ancestral rites, meditation, and specific vratas through the year.

Why Tithi Dates Can Shift by a Day

Panchang sites sometimes list a tithi one day apart. The reason is the udaya, or sunrise, rule used to fix the calendar date for that tithi.

A tithi can begin at any hour, day or night. Whichever tithi holds at sunrise decides which Hindu calendar day that tithi belongs to.

Diwali 2026 shows this clearly. The Kartik Amavasya tithi spans 8 and 9 November. Lakshmi Puja happens on the evening of 8 November, during Pradosh Kaal, while the sunrise rule marks the Amavasya date as 9 November. Confirm the exact muhurat with a current panchang for your city.

Purnima vs Amavasya: Key Differences

Purnima and Amavasya sit at opposite ends of the lunar month. This table lays out the core differences at a glance.

Major Festivals Falling on Purnima in 2026

How to Observe Purnima Vrat: Step by Step

1. Wake before sunrise, bathe, and wear clean clothes for the day.
2. Take a sankalp, stating the vrat you intend to keep
3. Worship Vishnu or Satyanarayan, using a clean pooja thali for the offerings.
4. Light a diya, and offer flowers, fruit, and prasad to the deity.
5. Fast as nirahar, phalahar, or a single meal, based on your capacity.
6. Break the fast after moonrise, once you offer arghya to the moon.

How to Perform Amavasya Puja and Pitru Tarpan

1. Bathe early in the morning and wear clean, simple clothes.
2. Offer tarpan, water mixed with black sesame, while facing south.
3. Perform shraddh for departed family members, if your household observes it.
4. Sit for meditation or silent japa at some point during the day.
5. Light a diya at dusk, known as deep daan.
6. Donate sesame, oil, or food to someone in need before the day ends.

If you are pregnant, unwell, or on regular medication, speak to your doctor before you observe any fast.

Puja Samagri Checklist for Purnima and Amavasya

Keep this setup ready the evening before, so the morning goes to worship rather than to searching for items.

Regional Names for Purnima and Amavasya Across India

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Purnima days are there in 2026?
2026 has 13 Purnima days. The extra day comes from Adhik Jyeshtha, an added lunar month that keeps the Hindu calendar aligned with the solar year. A regular year holds 12.

When is Mauni Amavasya in 2026?
Mauni Amavasya falls on 18 January 2026, a Sunday. It marks the Magha month's new moon and is kept with silence, meditation, and a holy dip, especially during the Magh Mela.

What is the difference between Purnima and Amavasya?
Purnima is the full moon, the last day of the bright Shukla Paksha. Amavasya is the new moon, the last day of the dark Krishna Paksha. Purnima favors outward worship, and Amavasya favors ancestral rites and quiet reflection.

Which Amavasya is Diwali in 2026?
Diwali falls on the Kartik Amavasya. In 2026, Diwali is celebrated on 8 November, with Lakshmi Puja that evening. Some panchang sources list the Amavasya date as 9 November, due to the sunrise tithi rule.

Can you perform puja on Amavasya?
Yes. Amavasya is not inauspicious for worship. Tradition discourages starting new ventures, weddings, or housewarmings on this day, but deity worship, meditation, charity, and ancestral rites are all considered fruitful.

What should you donate on Amavasya?
Black sesame, mustard oil, iron, black cloth, and cooked food are traditional Amavasya donations. Many households also feed a cow or a person in need, and light a lamp at dusk as deep daan.

How is a Purnima vrat broken?
A Purnima fast traditionally ends after moonrise, once you offer arghya of water and white flowers to the moon. Families usually break the fast after the evening puja and prasad, not at a fixed clock time.

What is Somvati Amavasya?
Somvati Amavasya is any new moon that falls on a Monday. In 2026, this happens on 15 June. Married women often observe a vrat and circle a pipal tree for their family's wellbeing.

Why is Amavasya important for honoring ancestors?
Amavasya is traditionally assigned to the Pitrs, the ancestors, in Hindu tradition. Families perform tarpan, offering water and sesame, believing the departed are closest to the living world on this moonless night.

How many Amavasya days fall in 2026?
2026 has 12 Amavasya days, one new moon for each lunar month. Unlike Purnima, the Amavasya count does not rise in a year with an extra month like Adhik Jyeshtha.

All dates are based on the Hindu lunar calendar for India and cross-checked against published panchang sources. Tithi start and end times vary by city and region. Confirm exact muhurat and moonrise timings with a current panchang for your location before
observing any vrat or puja.