Magh Purnima 2026
Magh Purnima · Magh Purnima · Vikram Samvat 2083
Significance
Holy bath in Ganga; most auspicious Purnima after Kartik.
Magh is one of the holiest months for ritual bathing at Prayagraj Sangam and Ganga ghats. The month-long Magh Mela draws millions of pilgrims who believe bathing in the sacred confluence liberates seven generations of ancestors.
The 29.5-day synodic cycle arises because the Moon must "catch up" with the Sun as Earth advances along its own orbit. On Purnima night, the Moon rises near sunset and sets near sunrise — it is visible above the horizon all night. The IST peak time listed is the astronomically exact moment of 180° solar-lunar elongation as measured from Earth's geometric centre.
How to Observe Magh Purnima
Take a pre-dawn bath at Prayagraj Sangam or any sacred river before sunrise. Fast on fruits and water through the day. Donate warm clothing and food to the poor — Magh is mid-winter, and generosity is said to carry double spiritual merit in this month.