Recurring observance · San Francisco Bay Area

Pūrṇimā

Why it matters

Marks an important full moon for sacred bathing and the start/intensification of Magha devotional practices in North India.

The story behind it

Pilgrims traditionally bathe at sacred confluences and rivers during the Magha season, combining purification, charity and Vishnu worship.

Prayers and worship

Satyanarayana pooja in many households, Vishnu or deity-specific prayers, bhajans, japa, scripture reading and arati.

Fasting and devotional customs

Some devotees fast until evening or after pooja, undertake charity or visit a temple or sacred water body.

What is typically offered

Flowers, fruit, lamps, sweets and Satyanarayana prasādam where that pooja is performed.

Visiting a temple that day

The “Purnima Vrat” date and astronomical full-moon civil date can occasionally differ locally; follow the temple’s posted schedule. Temple practices vary by region and sampradaya. Dress modestly, remove footwear where required, follow priest/volunteer directions, ask before photography, and check the temple’s event page for exact pooja, fasting and prasādam arrangements.

Spiritual themes

Completion, illumination, gratitude and devotion.

Every Pūrṇimā date, 2026–2027

These are recurring observances whose dates follow the tithi at a particular moment of the day (sunrise, sunset, moonrise or midnight), computed for the Fremont / Bay Area location. The 2028 dates are computed by this site’s own engine from one rule for the whole observance, tested against every 2026–27 date. No 2028 date has been checked against a printed almanac or reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal. Fasting rules and exact windows differ by lineage — please confirm with Sri Kumar Gurukkal or your family priest. How these dates are calculated →