Purnima May 2026 — 1 May and 31 May
పౌర్ణమి May 2026
Vaishakha Purnima · Buddha Purnima falls on Friday, 1 May 2026, and Adhika Jyeshtha Purnima falls on Sunday, 31 May 2026. Purnima is the full moon — the fifteenth tithi of the waxing fortnight. It closes the month in the purnimanta reckoning and falls mid-month in the amanta one this site uses, and carries Satyanarayana Puja, the Purnima fast, and a long list of festivals.
| Date | Name | Telugu | Masa & Paksha | Tithi ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 May 2026Friday | Vaishakha Purnima · Buddha Purnima | వైశాఖ పౌర్ణమి | Vaishakha Shukla | 10:56 PM |
| 31 May 2026Sunday | Adhika Jyeshtha Purnima | అధిక జ్యేష్ఠ పౌర్ణమి | Adhika Jyeshtha Shukla | 2:17 PM |
Computed for Hyderabad (17.385°N, 78.486°E) with Lahiri ayanamsa. For your own city use Today's Panchangam, which is location-aware.
What these days are for
Vaishakha Purnima · Buddha Purnima — Friday, 1 May 2026
Buddha Purnima — the Buddha’s birth, awakening and passing are all placed on this day. Kurma Jayanti falls here too.
Adhika Jyeshtha Purnima — Sunday, 31 May 2026
The extra lunar month of the year. It carries no festival of its own — those stay in the regular month of the same name — and is given to japa, charity and pilgrimage.
Frequently asked
When is Purnima in May 2026?
Why does May 2026 fall in an adhika month?
Where do these Purnima dates come from?
Purnima — Significance & Spiritual Practices
Purnima is the Full Moon night — the 15th day of Shukla Paksha (waxing fortnight). Vedic tradition considers Purnima the most spiritually charged night of each month, when the moon's brightness amplifies meditation, mantra chanting, and devotional practices. Many of the most important Hindu festivals fall on Purnima — Buddha Purnima, Guru Purnima, Sharad/Kojagari Purnima, Kartika Purnima.
Standard Purnima Vrat & Practices
- Bathe early, preferably in a river or with Ganga jal mixed in bath water. Wear clean white or yellow clothes.
- Satyanarayan Puja — the most universal Purnima ritual, accessible to all without priest. Read the Satyanarayan Katha aloud, offer sweets (sapatha or kheer), distribute prasad.
- Moon viewing (Chandra Darshan) after sunset — offer arghya (water with white flowers + rice) to the moon while chanting Chandra mantra.
- Meditation in moonlight is said to be exceptionally beneficial — the lunar energy calms manas (mind) and supports inner awareness.
- Fast from sunrise to moonrise (optional but common). Some observe full vrat (one satvik meal after Chandra Darshan).
- Donate white items — rice, sugar, milk, silver, white cloth — to receive moon's blessings.
Major Festivals on Purnima
- Chaitra Purnima (Apr) — Hanuman Jayanti
- Vaisakha Purnima (May) — Buddha Purnima (Buddha's birth, enlightenment, mahaparinirvana)
- Jyeshtha Purnima (Jun) — Vat Purnima Vrat (Savitri-Satyavan)
- Ashada Purnima (Jul) — Guru Purnima (Vyasa Puja, honoring all teachers)
- Shravana Purnima (Aug) — Raksha Bandhan + Narali Purnima + Avani Avittam
- Bhadrapada Purnima (Sep) — Pitru Paksha begins
- Ashvin Purnima (Oct) — Sharad / Kojagari Purnima (Lakshmi descends, Kheer ritual)
- Kartika Purnima (Nov) — Dev Diwali + Tulsi Vivah + most sacred Ganga snan
- Margashirsha Purnima (Dec) — Dattatreya Jayanti
- Pausha Purnima (Jan) — Shakambhari Purnima + Magha Snan begins
- Magha Purnima (Feb) — climax of Magha Snan
- Phalguna Purnima (Mar) — Holi / Holika Dahan
More on the practice
Is moon-bathing on Purnima safe?
Yes — for healthy individuals, sitting in moonlight for 30-60 minutes after dinner on Purnima is traditionally considered shitalakari (cooling) and beneficial for the mind and skin. People with high pitta (heat) constitution especially benefit. The Sharad Purnima ritual of leaving kheer (rice + milk dessert) in moonlight overnight is said to imbue it with amrita (nectar).
Why is Purnima so important spiritually?
Vedic tradition views the moon as the controller of manas (mind). On Purnima, when the moon is at full brightness, manas-related practices (meditation, japa, study) reach peak efficacy. The full moon also pulls the mind toward expansion — outward awareness, devotion, and unity consciousness. This is why all major spiritual celebrations cluster on Purnimas.
What's the difference between Amavasya and Purnima for vrats?
Amavasya = inward, ancestral, protective practices (Pitru Tarpana, Shiva worship, Lakshmi for Diwali). Purnima = outward, expansive, devotional practices (Satyanarayan Puja, Lakshmi for Sharad, Guru worship, deity Jayantis). Both are sacred, but for different purposes — Amavasya for inner work, Purnima for outer celebration.
→ See every Purnima date for the year · → How tithis are calculated