View source for Purnima

{{short description|Sanskrit word for full moon day}}
{{other uses}}
'''Pūrṇimā''' ({{Langx|sa|पूर्णिमा}}) is the word for [[full moon]] in [[Sanskrit]]. The day of Purnima is the day (''[[Tithi]]'') in each month when the full moon occurs, and marks the division in each month between the two lunar [[fortnight]]s ([[paksha]]), and the Moon is aligned exactly in a straight line, called a [[syzygy (astronomy)|syzygy]], with the Sun and Earth. Full moon is considered the third of the four primary phases of the Moon; the other three phases are [[new moon]], first quarter moon, and third quarter moon. The full moon shows 100% illumination, causes high [[tide]]s, and can concur with [[lunar eclipse]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Full Moon|url=https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/full-moon.html|website=www.timeanddate.com|access-date=25 November 2017|language=en}}</ref>
==Festivals==
The following festivals occur on the purnima.  The [[Manava Purana]] (one of the [[Upapurana|Upapuranas]]) contains a list of the festivals that fall on the full moon.
* [[Kartik Poornima|Kartik Purnima]], significant to both [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]] and [[Shaivism|Shaiva]] traditions, is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of [[Kartika (month)|Kartika]]. It is also called [[Tripura (mythology)|Tripura]] Purnima.
* [[Raksha Bandhan|Shravana Purnima]] is the full moon day of the month of [[Shravana (month)|Shravana]]. This day has a [[Raksha Bandhan#Other festivals on this day|number of different names]]. [[Hayagriva Jayanti]] and [[Gayatri Jayanti]] are also celebrated on Shravana Purnima. It also marks the occasion of [[Raksha Bandhan]].
* [[Vat Purnima]] is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of [[Jyeshta|Jyeshtha]]. Women pray for their husbands by tying threads around a banyan tree (''Vat'') on this day. It honours [[Savitri and Satyavan|Savitri]], the legendary wife of Satyavan who persuaded [[Yama (Hinduism)|Yama]] to restore her husband's life.
* [[Guru Purnima]], devotees offer [[Puja (Hinduism)|''puja'']] (worship) to their ''[[guru]]'', on the full moon day of [[Ashadha]]. It is also known as Vyasa Purnima after the birthday of [[Vyasa]], the author of the [[Mahabharata]].
* [[Sharad Purnima]] or Kojagiri Purnima, the autumn harvest festival, on the full moon day of [[Ashvin (month)|Ashvina]].
* [[Buddha Purnima]], marking the day of birth of [[Gautama Buddha in Hinduism|Gautama Buddha]], on the full moon day of [[Vaishakha]]. [[Kurma Jayanti]] is also celebrated on this day.
* [[Holi]]/[[Panguni Uthiram|Phalguna Purnima]], the spring festival of colours in Hinduism/Buddhism/Jainism, the full moon day of [[Phalgun|Phalguna]].
* [[Datta Jayanti|Dattatreya Jayanti]], commemorating the birth of the deity [[Dattatreya]], is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of [[Margashira]].
* [[Hanuman Jayanti]], making the birth of [[Hanuman]], is celebrated on the full moon of the lunar month [[Chaitra]]. However, this is celebrated on different days in different states. While Orissa celebrates this as [[Vaisakha]] [[Sankranti]], Andhra Pradesh celebrates [[Vaisakha]] [[shukla paksha|Shukla Paksha]] [[Dashami]], Kerala celebrates it in a previous month Margashira [[Amavasya]] coinciding with the [[Mula (nakshatra)|Mula]] [[nakshatra]]. [[Chitra Pournami (festival)|Chaitra Purnima]] is prescribed for the veneration of [[Chandra]].
* [[Shakambhari Purnima]] is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of [[Pausha]], marking the descent of the goddess [[Shakambhari]].
* [[Pitru Paksha|Shraddha Purnima]] is celebrated on the full moon day of the month of [[Bhaadra|Bhadra]]. On this day, the Uma Mahesvara Vrata for the propitiation of the divine couple of [[Shiva Parvati]] is performed, as well as Shakra Vrata, where [[Indra]] is worshipped for children’s well-being.
*
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
* [http://himalayanacademy.com/resources/panchangam/pancha_intro.PDF Introduction to the Hindu Calendar (PDF)]
{{Tithi}}
{{HinduFestivals}}
[[Category:Observances held on the full moon]]
[[Category:Hindu calendar]]
[[Category:Days of the Hindu calendar]]