Spirituality

Bhadrapada Purnima falls on September 26, 2026, marking the full moon before Pitru Paksha begins

Bhadrapada Purnima, the full moon day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, will be observed on September 26, 2026, according to Prokerala and the Economic Times. The day is dedicated to the worship of Lord Satyanarayan, a form of Lord Vishnu, and devotees mark it with fasting, river bathing and the recitation of the Satyanarayan Katha, Prokerala reports.

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Timings and rituals for the September 26 full moon#

Prokerala lists the Purnima tithi as beginning at 11:07 PM on September 25 and concluding at 10:19 PM on September 26, with sunrise at 6:20 AM, sunset at 6:15 PM, moonrise at 6:00 PM and moonset at 6:39 AM, all timings given in IST for Ujjain.

The Economic Times gives Panchang calculations for New Delhi that put the tithi's start at around 11:06 PM on September 25 and its end at around 10:18 PM on September 26, noting that exact sunrise, moonrise and other muhurat timings can vary by city.

Prokerala describes the day's observances as including the Bhadrapada Purnima Vrat, a daylong fast broken only in the evening after reading the Satyanarayan Katha, along with Purnima Snan in the Ganga, Yamuna and Narmada rivers and the Panchamrit Snan ritual. The site also notes the day is considered favorable for Maha Mrityunjaya Puja and for reading stories of Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva and Goddess Lakshmi.

How the date fits the wider lunar calendar#

The Economic Times reports that this year's Bhadrapada Purnima comes immediately before Pitru Paksha, calling it an important transition point in the Hindu lunar year.

The fortnight that follows the full moon#

Pitru Paksha, the fortnight set aside for honoring ancestors, begins on September 27, 2026 and runs through October 10, ending on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, also called Mahalaya, according to VedicFeed. The outlet reports that some calendars list the opening day as September 26 depending on when the Pratipada tithi begins locally, though the widely published start remains September 27.

VedicFeed reports that during the fortnight, households perform shraddha on the tithi of an ancestor's death, marked by charitable giving in that person's name, and tarpan, an offering of water and sesame seeds made at a river or temple tank while ancestors' names are recited. Weddings and other auspicious ceremonies are traditionally avoided during this period, the outlet adds.

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