🌕 Magha Purnima (Maghi Purnima) 2027
The full moon of Magha — the end of the Magh bath and Kalpavas, Sant Ravidas Jayanti, the Ganga bath and charity of sesame, blankets and grain; the gods descend to Prayag.
Magha Purnima (Maghi Purnima) is the full moon of Magha month — ten days after Vasant Panchami, fifteen days before Maha Shivratri. The Magh bath that began on Paush Purnima and the Kalpavas of Prayag conclude on this day; it is believed that the gods themselves descend in human form to bathe at the Sangam of Prayag.
It is also the Jayanti of Sant Ravidas (a big festival in Punjab-UP) and the day of 'Magha Puja' in the Buddhist tradition. Women of the house bathe, fast, hold the Satyanarayan katha, donate sesame and offer arghya to the moon. Below are this year's date, the bath muhurat, vidhi, samagri, katha, bhog and regional customs.
Significance — why this vrat
The end of the Magh bath — whoever kept it all month completes its fruit today; for one who could not, a single bath on Magha Purnima is said to equal the whole of Magha (Padma Purana). The kalpavasis leave their huts at the Sangam today.
In Magha the Sun is in Aquarius and the Moon in Magha nakshatra (hence the name) — the fruit of charity on this Purnima (sesame, jaggery, grain, cloth, blankets, ghee) is said to be a thousandfold; tarpan and shraddha for ancestors too.
Ravidas Jayanti — Sant Ravidas (Raidas) was born in Kashi on Magha Purnima; 'Man changa to kathauti mein Ganga' — a festival of devotion and equality; processions and langar in Punjab, UP and MP.
Puja vidhi (step by step)
This is the household vidhi — a dawn bath (the end of the Magh bath), charity, the Purnima fast, moon arghya in the evening.
- Bathe in Brahma Muhurat (time above) in a river/pond or at home with Gangajal and sesame in the water — the last day of the Magh bath; arghya to the Sun, 'Om Namo Narayanaya'.
- The concluding sankalp of the Magh bath — 'The bath-vow from Paush Purnima to today is complete; its fruit to the family's welfare and the ancestors' — release water from the hand.
- The Purnima fast: fruit/one meal in the day; worship of Vishnu-Lakshmi — yellow flowers, Tulsi, panchamrit; the Satyanarayan katha (the katha of Maghi Purnima is considered special).
- Charity (sunrise to noon): black sesame, jaggery, grain (sidha), blankets/woollens, ghee, oil, shoes — to a Brahmin/the needy/a gaushala; tarpan and panch-bali (cow, crow, dog) in the ancestors' name.
- Ravidas Jayanti (where customary): a picture of Sant Ravidas, a lamp, his verses — 'Prabhu ji tum chandan hum pani'; langar/food charity.
- At moonrise (time above) arghya of milk and water to the moon; bhog of kheer; break the fast.
- Lamps at the Tulsi platform and the door in the evening; Vishnu/Shiva bhajans at night; Phalguna begins the next day — preparations for Holi (before Holashtak begins).
Puja samagri checklist
Simple samagri for bath and charity — sesame and blankets are the mark of this Purnima.
- Gangajal, black sesame, copper lota
- Picture of Vishnu-Lakshmi, yellow flowers, Tulsi, panchamrit, roli, akshat
- Charity: sesame, jaggery, grain-sidha, blankets/woollens, ghee, oil, dakshina
- Satyanarayan katha: panjiri, banana, panchamrit, banana leaves, betel nut
- Milk and water for the moon arghya, kheer
- Lamp, incense, camphor, aarti thali
- Kusha (if available), sesame and akshat for tarpan
- Ravidas picture/verse book (where customary)
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Open panchang →Vrat katha (the story)
The story of the Padma Purana — the wife of the Brahmin Dhaneshwar of Kantika city had no child; on a message received in alms, the Brahmin had his wife keep the vow of bathing at dawn in Magha and offering arghya to the moon. After 32 Purnimas of the vow a son was born, but he was short-lived; the wife gave the merit of the Magha Purnima vrat to her son, and when Yama's messengers came for him they turned back by the power of the vrat — the son lived long. Since then the bath-vrat of Magha Purnima is regarded as a vrat for the protection and longevity of children.
The Prayag belief — in Magha the gods of the three worlds, gandharvas and sages come to bathe at the Sangam in human form; on Magha Purnima this 'bath of the gods' concludes — so the kalpavasis take their final bath, bow to the Triveni and return home.
Sant Ravidas — born in Kashi in a family of cobblers on Magha Purnima (around 1377 CE); the guru of Mirabai, the poet of 'Begampura' (the city without sorrow); 40 of his hymns are in the Guru Granth Sahib — there is no high or low in devotion, that is his message.
The food of Maghi Purnima — sesame, kheer, khichdi
The last cold of Magha — dishes of sesame, jaggery and ghee; kheer for the bhog; today the kalpavasis are free of the one-meal rule and eat their fill.
- Kheer (moon bhog), sesame laddoos, sesame-jaggery patti, carrot halwa
- Khichdi + ghee + curd (the last meal of the Magh bath), poori-aloo
- Satyanarayan prasad: panjiri, panchamrit, banana
- Ravidas Jayanti langar: dal-roti-kheer (Punjab-UP)
- Fast: fruit and milk, sabudana; paran after the arghya
Regional customs
The last royal bath of Prayag, Ravidas Jayanti in Punjab-UP, the Magha Purnima bath in the south.
A custom, tale, song or dish heard from your grandmother — 2-4 lines; after reading we add it on this page with your region's name (the phone is never shown — only to ask you back).
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✅ Do
- A dawn bath — the concluding sankalp of the Magh bath without fail
- Charity of sesame, jaggery, grain and blankets; tarpan for the ancestors
- The Purnima fast, the Satyanarayan katha, arghya at moonrise
- The verses/langar of Ravidas — the message of equality
- Serving kalpavasis/bathers (food, blankets) — special merit on this day
❌ Don't
- Elders and the unwell should not bathe in the river in the cold — Gangajal at home
- Meat, alcohol, quarrels, cutting hair and nails — avoided on Purnima
- Never leave children or elders alone in the fair crowd
- Charity grain never spoilt — give what you would eat
- No Tulsi leaves in the evening
Frequently asked questions
When is Magha Purnima in 2027?
The date at the top is this year's Magha Purnima — from panchang calculations; the Delhi times for Brahma Muhurat (bath) and moonrise are shown too.
What if the Magh bath could not be completed?
According to the Padma Purana a single bath on Magha Purnima equals the whole of Magha — bathe at dawn today, give charity and offer the moon arghya; or on the three tithis of Magha (Paush Purnima, Mauni Amavasya, Magha Purnima).
What to donate on this day?
Black sesame, jaggery, grain-sidha, blankets/woollens, ghee, oil, shoes-umbrella — blankets and clothes are most useful at the end of winter; fodder to a gaushala.
Why are Ravidas Jayanti and Magha Purnima on the same day?
Sant Ravidas is held to have been born on Magha Purnima — so the Jayanti falls on this tithi every year; a public holiday and processions in Punjab-UP.
What comes after Maghi Purnima?
Phalguna begins the next day — Maha Shivratri fifteen days later, then Holashtak (eight days before Holi) and Holika Dahan on Phalguna Purnima.
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✅ Saved — you will get a message a day before the next vrat.Something went wrong — please try again.⏳ Saving…Also read: Paush Purnima (start of the Magh bath) · Mauni Amavasya · Maha Shivratri (15 days later) · Purnima list
⚠️ This description follows traditional vidhi and folk belief; your own family custom comes first. Mind health when bathing in the cold.
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