Sharad Purnima 2026: 25 October Date, Kheer & Puja Guide

Sharad Purnima 2026 falls on Sunday, 25 October for New Delhi. After the busy days of Navratri and Dussehra, this autumn full-moon observance invites a gentler gathering: a clean altar, a small offering of kheer, remembrance of the Divine and a little time beneath the evening sky. Whether your family calls it Sharad Poonam, Raas Purnima or Kojagari, begin with the tradition you actually follow.

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This guide brings together the date, clearly labelled Delhi reference timings, a simple home-puja sequence and practical preparation. It also explains why the night-time festival should not be confused with the following morning's Purnima tithi. Customs differ across regions; this is a household guide, not a replacement for your family's paddhati or a temple's own programme.

Sharad Purnima 2026 date and tithi timings

Drik Panchang visibly selects New Delhi and labels its clocks as local time. Graha Remedy independently names New Delhi and IST; Sanatan Bhumi's New Delhi daily Panchang also lists moonrise at 17:00 IST. The small calculation differences are shown openly, not blended into invented precision. Moonrise is a reference, not a compulsory start time for every family's puja. For Kojagari Lakshmi worship, confirm your regional panjika and any midnight observance separately; a Kolkata temple timetable must not be inferred from Delhi clocks.

What makes this Purnima special?

Sharad Purnima is associated with Chandra worship, Krishna devotion and regional Lakshmi traditions. Its imagery is gentle and luminous: white offerings, the autumn moon and an invitation to bring attention back to prayer. Devotees may seek peace, gratitude and spiritual clarity, without treating an observance as a guarantee of money, marriage or a particular worldly result.

Raas Purnima and the spirit of devotion

In the Krishna tradition, this night recalls the Maha Raas of Krishna and the gopis in Vrindavan. BAPS's festival account presents the story as a lesson in wholehearted devotion and humility: love of God should not become pride in one's own devotion. A family can carry that meaning into the evening through a familiar Krishna bhajan, quiet japa or listening together, rather than attempting an elaborate performance.

Kojagari and regional ways of celebrating

Kojagari tradition remembers Lakshmi's question, “Who is awake?” BAPS also explains wakefulness spiritually, as attentiveness to one's inner life. Some households keep a vigil; others offer evening prayers. Neither an unsecured door nor an unattended overnight lamp is necessary. Gujarat's Sharad Poonam and Bengali Kojagari celebrations have their own forms, while BAPS communities connect the occasion with Gunatitanand Swami's birth anniversary. Honour those distinctions rather than prescribing one ceremony to everybody.

Samagri for an unhurried home observance

• Your usual image or murti of Krishna, Lakshmi or the deity worshipped in your family.
• A clean cloth, flowers, a small water vessel and an offering plate.
• A diya with its usual wick and fuel, placed safely and supervised.
• Ingredients for your household's kheer or other accepted offering.
• A familiar prayer, bhajan or aarti text.

If customary, a small amount of chandan for the puja offering and tilak is useful. Panchmeva for a separate prasad offering can accompany the fresh preparation where your tradition permits it. Check the pack before culinary use; no purchased item is a condition for sincere worship.

Step-by-step Sharad Purnima puja at home

1. Choose your family's focus

Decide whether the evening centres on Krishna remembrance, Chandra prayer or your customary Lakshmi puja. Clean the space and arrange only what you will use. Make a simple sankalp for devotion, truthful conduct and generosity. A smaller, peaceful observance is perfectly workable.

2. Prepare the bhog thoughtfully

Rice kheer is widely associated with this festival, but recipes and permitted ingredients vary. Prepare your family's version in clean utensils. If someone is keeping a restrictive fast, settle their permitted offering separately rather than assuming that a rice-based recipe suits every vrat.

3. Offer prayer and aarti

Offer flowers and the prepared bhog, then recite the prayer or aarti you know. Children can help arrange flowers or read a short passage under supervision. Keep lamps away from loose cloth; extinguish them safely before leaving the space. Prayer need not continue all night to be meaningful.

4. Remember Chandra without inventing a muhurat

When the moon is visible, offer respectful remembrance. Families that give Chandra arghya may follow their customary method with a small amount of clean water in an appropriate place. Clouds do not require you to abandon devotional remembrance. Do not substitute an unverified social-media clock for a local Panchang.

5. Share prasad and conclude gently

Share the offering and make room for a few quiet minutes together. Moonlit kheer is a devotional custom, not evidence that moonlight sterilises food or cures illness. Do not leave milk-based food unprotected outdoors overnight; follow ordinary safe food handling. The prayer can be honoured without copying an unsafe setup.

Fasting, Satyanarayan puja and temple visits

Some devotees fast; others keep a simple vegetarian routine or observe through prayer alone. There is no single menu for every household. Follow your own sankalp and tradition, and do not change prescribed food or medicine routines for this article. If your family includes Satyanarayan worship on Purnima, our Satyanarayan puja, katha and samagri guide explains that separate observance.

For a temple visit, check its current notice directly. BAPS describes Sharad Poonam celebrations at Gondal, including the Gunatitanand Swami connection, but that historical festival description is not a verified 2026 event schedule. If preparing for later autumn worship, keep Diwali Lakshmi puja preparations distinct from Kojagari. Our Dussehra regional-traditions guide offers context for the preceding festive period.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sharad Purnima on 25 or 26 October 2026?
The New Delhi festival evening is Sunday, 25 October. Purnima tithi continues into Monday morning; regional panjikas and other observances should be checked separately.

Must kheer remain outside all night?
No universal requirement is being prescribed here. Respect the devotional custom while keeping food protected and safely handled; an unsafe overnight arrangement is not necessary for prayer.

Is rice kheer suitable for every fast?
Not automatically. Some vrat routines restrict grains. Follow your family's permitted ingredients and distinguish the household offering from the fasting person's meal.

Is Kojagari Lakshmi puja the same as Diwali puja?
No. They are distinct observances, with different calendar rules and regional practices. Do not reuse a Diwali muhurat for this Purnima.

Do I have to stay awake or buy a full puja kit?
No. A vigil is a tradition in some households, not a rule for everyone. Use the essentials you already have and choose a manageable observance.

Welcome the full moon with a prepared heart

Keep your prayer simple, your references local and your offerings thoughtful. The Sampurna Purnima Guide eBook, currently ₹199, can help you prepare the Sharad/Kojagara section and return to other full-moon observances through the year. Its digital format keeps the relevant prayers ready beside your altar. May this evening bring your family together in gratitude, humility and loving remembrance. Jai Shri Krishna.

Calendar and tradition references

Drik Panchang: selected New Delhi festival date and local timings; Graha Remedy: independent New Delhi IST date and tithi calculation; Sanatan Bhumi: New Delhi IST daily Panchang cross-check; BAPS: Sharad Purnima traditions and devotional significance. Checked 18 October 2026.