Word

Purnima

Sanskrit

पूर्णिमा

IAST

pūrṇimā

In General

The night of full moon lunar phase and the day succeeding it. Purnima is considered as a highly auspicious in Hindu tradition when the positive forces and divine energy rules over the earth. The birth anniversaries of Vyasa and Buddha fall on Purnima. Vara Mahalakshmi Vrat is celebrated on Poornima day of Shravana month.

During its various positions around the earth, Moon is exposed to varying amount of sun rays as the earth occurs in between. Therefore moon appears to grow and reduce in its size. When the earth completely blocks the moon from the sun, it is Amavasya and when the moon is completely exposed to the sun, it is Purnima