Margashirsha Purnima 2026 (Margasira Pournami): Vrat on 23 December, Snan and Daan, Moonrise by City, Puja Vidhi and Bhairavi Jayanti

Quick answer: The Margashirsha Purnima (Margasira Pournami) vrat is on Wednesday 23 December 2026 in India, per Drik Panchang. Purnima tithi runs from 10:47 AM on 23 December to 6:57 AM on 24 December (IST). Where Purnima is still present at sunrise on 24 December, as in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, the holy bath and charity (snan-daan) fall on Thursday 24 December. The USA, Canada, the UK and the Gulf keep the vrat on Wednesday 23 December. Australia and New Zealand keep it on Thursday 24 December.

Last updated: 25 October 2026. The vrat dates for Delhi, Hyderabad, New York and Sydney, and the festival lists for Chennai and Singapore, are from Drik Panchang. Moonrise times and the other cities are calculated with HinduTone's panchang calculator, which matches Drik on these days.

Margashirsha Purnima 2026 date and timings

Why the vrat and the bath can fall on different days

Purnima vrats are kept on the day when the full-moon tithi covers the middle of the day and is present at moonrise. On 23 December Purnima begins at 10:47 AM, in time for both, so the vrat is on Wednesday. Bathing and giving follow the tithi at sunrise. Purnima ends at 6:57 AM IST on 24 December, which is after sunrise in Hyderabad (6:43 AM, Drik) and Chennai (6:28 AM, Drik) but before sunrise in Delhi (about 7:11 AM) and Mumbai (about 7:08 AM). So South and East India bathe on Thursday morning, while Delhi and Mumbai do everything on Wednesday. Follow the panchang your family or temple uses.

Margashirsha Purnima 2026 by city

Local times. Canada uses its 2026–27 clocks: British Columbia UTC−7, Alberta UTC−6 and Manitoba UTC−5 all winter. Moonrise is for the vrat day and may differ by a minute or two from a printed panchang.

Why this full moon matters

In the Bhagavad Gita (10.35), Krishna names Margashirsha among the months as his own glory. The verse, from the text at sanskritdocuments.org:

बृहत्साम तथा साम्नां गायत्री छन्दसामहम् ।

मासानां मार्गशीर्षोऽहमृतूनां कुसुमाकरः ॥

Meaning: "Of the Sama hymns I am the Brihat Sama, of metres the Gayatri; of months I am Margashirsha, of seasons the flower-bearing spring."

For this reason the whole month is treated as sacred to Vishnu, and its full moon is a favourite day for Vishnu worship, the Satyanarayana vrat, a holy bath and charity. In the Telugu states the month is known for the Lakshmivara (Thursday) vratams and in Maharashtra for the Margashirsha Guruvar vrat, and the Purnima closes that cycle of Thursdays in the Amanta calendar.

How to keep the Purnima vrat

1. On the morning of the vrat, bathe early and take a sankalpa (resolve) to keep the Purnima vrat for Vishnu or Satyanarayana.
2. Fast in the way your family follows: some take only fruit and milk, some eat one sattvic meal, some fast until moonrise.
3. In the evening, set up a picture of Vishnu, Satyanarayana or Lakshmi-Narayana with a kalash, a lamp, tulsi leaves, flowers and fruit.
4. Chant Om Namo Narayanaya or Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, recite Vishnu's names, or read the Satyanarayana katha (see below).
5. After moonrise, offer water (arghya) to the moon with a prayer, do aarti and share the prasad.
6. Break the fast after the puja with a simple meal.

Fasting and health

Fasting is an option, not a rule. Children, older people, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with diabetes, low blood pressure or other conditions, and anyone whose medicines need food should check with a doctor first. Prayer and a light sattvic meal are a complete observance.

Satyanarayana puja on Purnima

Many families, especially in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Bengal and Odisha, perform the Satyanarayana puja on Purnima. A typical home puja has a kalash, a picture of Satyanarayana, a lamp, tulsi, banana leaves or stems, fruit, and the prasad of roasted semolina (rava) with ghee, sugar, milk and banana. The five chapters of the katha are read and the aarti follows. Our Satyanarayana vratham at home guide has the full steps for a home in the USA or UK.

Snan and daan: the holy bath and giving

Bathing before sunrise in a river or sacred tank is the traditional Purnima practice. At home, a bath before sunrise with a few drops of Ganga jal, or a prayer to the holy rivers, is the usual substitute. In winter abroad, use warm water: tradition values the timing and the prayer, not the cold.

• Food, grain or a meal for someone in need
• Warm clothes or blankets in the cold season
• Sesame and jaggery, or sweets
• Ghee and oil lamps for a temple
• A donation to a temple, a gaushala or a local food bank

Give quietly and within your means. The tradition praises giving on this full moon, but it is an act of devotion and kindness, not a transaction with a guaranteed return.

Mantras for the day

Vishnu's eight-syllable mantra:

ॐ नमो नारायणाय॥

oṃ namo nārāyaṇāya||

The twelve-syllable mantra of Vasudeva:

ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय॥

oṃ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya||

Bhairavi Jayanti, Annapurna Jayanti and Datta Jayanti

Bhairavi Jayanti (Thu 24 Dec): Drik Panchang lists Bhairavi Jayanti on Margashirsha Purnima. Tripura Bhairavi is one of the ten Mahavidyas, the forms of the Goddess worshipped in Shakta tradition. Worship of the Mahavidyas follows guru-given (diksha) methods. Householders usually keep the day with a simple Devi puja, a lamp and the Devi's names, and leave mantra practice to those who have been initiated.

Annapurna Jayanti (Thu 24 Dec): the appearance day of Annapurna, the Goddess who nourishes, celebrated especially at Kashi. See our Annapurna Jayanti 2026 guide and the Annapurna Stotram with meaning.

Datta Jayanti (Wed 23 Dec): the birth of Lord Dattatreya, observed on the evening of the vrat day. Full details are in our Datta Jayanti 2026 guide.

Arudra Darshan (Thu 24 Dec): the Margazhi Thiruvathirai of Nataraja falls on the next morning this year. See Arudra Darshan 2026.

Tips for families abroad

• Two days are fine: In North America and Europe the whole tithi falls on Wednesday 23 December, so keep the vrat, puja and giving that day.
• Moonrise is early: In December the full moon rises around sunset (about 4:04 PM in New York and 2:57 PM in London). The evening arghya can be offered soon after you get home.
• Holiday season: 23 December is a working day in most countries, but many people are already on leave. It is a good evening for a group Satyanarayana puja.
• Temples: Many temples abroad hold a monthly Satyanarayana puja on Purnima. Check whether yours keeps 23 or 24 December.
• Giving locally: A winter coat drive or a food-bank donation keeps the spirit of daan where you live.

Frequently asked questions

When is Margashirsha Purnima 2026?

The Purnima vrat is on Wednesday 23 December 2026 in India, per Drik Panchang (Delhi and Hyderabad). Purnima tithi runs from 10:47 AM on 23 December to 6:57 AM on 24 December, IST. Where Purnima is still present at sunrise on 24 December, as in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, the holy bath and charity are done on Thursday 24 December.

Why are there two dates?

The fast (vrat) is kept on the day when Purnima prevails in the middle of the day and at moonrise, which in 2026 is 23 December. The holy bath and charity (snan-daan) follow the tithi at sunrise. Purnima is present at sunrise on 24 December in cities where the sun rises before 6:57 AM IST. In Delhi and Mumbai the sun rises later, so the bath is also done on 23 December.

Is Margasira Pournami the same as Margashirsha Purnima?

Yes. Margasira Pournami is the Telugu and Kannada name, Margashirsha Purnima the North Indian name, and Agrahayana Purnima an older name for the same full moon. In the Amanta calendar it ends the month of Margashirsha. In the Purnimanta calendar Pausha begins the next day.

What is the date in the USA, UK and Australia?

In the USA, Canada, the UK, Europe, the Gulf and South Africa the vrat is Wednesday 23 December, and Purnima ends that evening or night. In Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland the vrat is Thursday 24 December (Drik Sydney). Singapore and Malaysia keep the vrat on 23 December, and the bath and charity on 24 December.

What should I donate on Margashirsha Purnima?

Common gifts are food or grain, warm clothes or blankets in winter, sesame and jaggery, ghee and lamps, and money to a temple or a food bank. Give what you can, quietly and with respect. Tradition praises charity on this full moon, but no particular result is promised.

Which festivals fall on these days?

Datta Jayanti is on Wednesday 23 December. Annapurna Jayanti, Bhairavi Jayanti and Arudra Darshan (Margazhi Thiruvathirai) are on Thursday 24 December, per Drik Panchang for India.

Can I keep the vrat without fasting?

Yes. You can keep the day with a bath, prayer, the Satyanarayana katha or Vishnu's names, and a simple sattvic meal. Pregnant women, children, older people and anyone with diabetes or a medical condition should not fast without a doctor's advice.

Editor's note

Editor's note (25 October 2026): This page was rewritten for Margashirsha Purnima on 23–24 December 2026. It now separates the vrat day from the snan-daan day, adds a 30-row city table, and has a single section for Datta, Annapurna and Bhairavi Jayanti, with links to their own guides. The vrat dates for Delhi, Hyderabad, New York and Sydney come from Drik Panchang list and day pages, and the Chennai and Singapore festival lists from Drik day pages fetched on 25 October 2026. Moonrise and the other cities are calculated with HinduTone's panchang calculator, which matches Drik to within about a minute. The Gita verse is from sanskritdocuments.org. Fasting is optional; please follow medical advice.

Also read

• Arudra Darshan 2026 (Thursday 24 December)
• Datta Jayanti 2026
• Annapurna Jayanti 2026
• Margashirsha Guruvar vrat 2026 dates
• Margasira Masam 2026 and Lakshmivara vratam
• December 2026 vrat and fasting calendar
• Panchangam for 23 December 2026