🪷 Vaishakha Purnima (Buddha Purnima / Narasimha Jayanti) Puja Vidhi — step by step
This is the household vidhi — remembrance of Narasimha on Chaturdashi evening, a dawn bath, charity, the Satyanarayan katha and moon arghya on the Purnima.
How to do Vaishakha Purnima (Buddha Purnima / Narasimha Jayanti) — the steps
- Chaturdashi (a day earlier) — Narasimha Jayanti: a fast in the day (fruit), in Pradosh Kaal a picture of Narasimha/Vishnu, red-yellow flowers, Tulsi, panchamrit; the mantra 'Om Narasimhaya Namah'/'Ugram viram maha-vishnum…'; the Prahlad katha; a prayer of protection for the children; paran the next morning.
- On the Purnima bathe in Brahma Muhurat (time above) — the concluding sankalp of the Vaishakha bath; arghya to the Sun; yellow clothes.
- Sankalp of the Purnima fast; worship of Vishnu-Lakshmi — yellow flowers, Tulsi, panchamrit, sandalwood; remembrance of the Kurma avatar; if there is a Buddha image/picture, white flowers and a lamp (a vow of compassion and non-violence).
- The Satyanarayan katha (Pradosh or noon): banana stems/leaves, kalash, panchamrit, prasad of panjiri, banana and Tulsi; five chapters; the aarti 'Jai Lakshmi Ramana'.
- Charity (till noon): a water-filled pot/surahi, a water stall, umbrella, slippers, fan, sattu, fruit (mango-melon), grain, cloth — to a Brahmin/the needy/a gaushala; tarpan and charity in the ancestors' name.
- A day of non-violence: no killing of creatures, grain and water for birds, fodder for cows; darshan at a Buddhist vihara/stupa if there is one, Buddha vandana.
- At moonrise (time above) arghya of milk and water to the moon; bhog of kheer; break the fast.
- Vishnu/Buddha bhajans at night; Jyeshtha begins the next day — preparations for Vat Savitri (Jyeshtha Amavasya) and Ganga Dussehra.
Puja samagri checklist
The items of the Satyanarayan katha and the things for summer charity — the main ones.
- Picture of Vishnu-Lakshmi (Satyanarayan), yellow cloth, wooden seat, kalash, banana leaves/stems, mango leaves
- Panchamrit, Tulsi leaves, yellow and white flowers, sandalwood, roli, akshat, mauli, betel nut and paan
- Prasad: panjiri (semolina/wheat-ghee-sugar-makhana), banana, fruit, mishri, kheer
- Narasimha Jayanti: red-yellow flowers, a Narasimha/Vishnu picture, lamp
- Buddha image/picture (if available), white flowers, incense
- Charity: pot/surahi, umbrella, slippers, fan, sattu, fruit, grain, cloth, dakshina
- Moon arghya: copper lota, milk and water; lamp, incense, camphor, aarti thali
- Satyanarayan katha book
The Satyanarayan panjiri, kheer, the food of summer charity
The Purnima bhog is sattvik — panjiri-panchamrit-banana (the katha), kheer (the moon), fruit; panakam and chana-jaggery (south) on Narasimha Jayanti; in the Buddhist tradition kheer (Sujata's kheer) and simple food. Summer — mango, melon, sattu.
- Satyanarayan prasad: panjiri (1 cup semolina/wheat roasted in ghee, 1 cup sugar, makhana-dry fruits, cardamom; or panchamrit-banana-Tulsi) — in the 'sava' (1¼) measure
- Kheer (the moon bhog — Sujata gave Buddha kheer), mango, melon, sattu sherbet
- Narasimha Jayanti (Chaturdashi): panakam (jaggery water), chana-jaggery, coconut; kheer-poori for the paran next morning
- Fast: fruit, milk, sattu; a simple sattvik meal in the spirit of non-violence (no onion-garlic)
- Set the water, fruit and grain for charity aside first; grain and water for birds
Rules — do's and don'ts
✅ Do
- A dawn bath — the end of the Vaishakha bath; charity of water, umbrellas, slippers and fans
- The Satyanarayan katha — most auspicious on this Purnima; panjiri prasad to all
- Non-violence — no killing, grain and fodder for birds and cows; remembrance of Buddha's compassion
- Remembrance of Narasimha on Chaturdashi evening — protection of children and family
- Arghya at moonrise, kheer
❌ Don't
- Meat, alcohol, violence — specially forbidden on Buddha Purnima
- No elders or children at the ghat in the midday heat; the water stall's water must be clean
- Do not leave the Satyanarayan katha incomplete — all five chapters and the prasad distribution
- Quarrels, cutting hair and nails on Purnima
- Charity pots and fruit never spoilt
Vrat katha
Siddhartha, son of King Shuddhodana of Kapilavastu and Maya Devi, was born on Vaishakha Purnima at Lumbini; at 29 he left palace, kingdom and family in search of truth; after six years of austerity, on the night of Vaish… Read the full katha →
Frequently asked questions
When is Buddha Purnima in {Y}?
The date at the top is this year's Vaishakha Purnima — from panchang calculations; Narasimha Jayanti (a day earlier, Chaturdashi) is in the table too; the Delhi times for Brahma Muhurat (bath) and moonrise are shown as well.
Do Hindus observe Buddha Purnima?
Yes — in the Hindu tradition Vaishakha Purnima is the Kurma avatar, the end of the Vaishakha bath and the best Purnima for Satyanarayan; Buddha is regarded as the ninth avatar of Vishnu — so lamp-offering, non-violence and compassion are shared by both.
When and how is Narasimha Jayanti observed?
On Vaishakha Shukla Chaturdashi in Pradosh Kaal (after sunset) — a day's fast, Narasimha puja in the evening (red-yellow flowers, Tulsi, panakam-chana), the Prahlad katha; paran the next morning (Purnima); a vrat for protection from fear, illness and enemies and for the safety of children.
On which Purnima is the Satyanarayan katha most auspicious?
Valid on every Purnima; the Purnimas of Vaishakha, Kartik and Magha are best — Vaishakha Purnima is special as the end of the Madhava month; in Pradosh Kaal or at noon, panjiri prasad in the sava (1¼) measure.
What is the Vaishakha bath?
A daily dawn bath in a river/tirtha, Vishnu puja and water charity from Chaitra Purnima to Vaishakha Purnima — the vrat of the Madhava month in the Skanda Purana; also valid at home with Gangajal; it ends today.
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