May 21, 2017:

P

urnima or Puranmasi is the full moon day of each month. It divides the lunar month into two fortnights, or paksh. The days before Purnima are shukla paksh, and the days after are krishn paksh. Sri Satyanarayan pooja and fast is done on Purnima Day. The fast begins at sunrise and ends after seeing the moon. Salt is avoided by people who observe the fast.

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra and Gayatri Mantra are chanted

Om Tryambakam Yajamahe |
Sugandhim Pushti-Vardhanam ||
Urvarukamiva Bandhanan |
Mrityor Moksheeya Maamritat ||

Om bhur bhuvah swah, tat savitur varenyam |
Bhargo devasya dheemahi, dhiyo yo nah prachodayat ||

The dates of Purnima are different every year. My Maasi told me that there is usually a festival or Jayanti on Purnima Days. Following are the 2017 dates for Purnima:

January 11: Paush Purnima or Shakambhari Purnima

February 10: Magh Purnima. Sant Ravidas Jayanti is celebrated on this day.

March 12: Phalgun Purnima or Vasant Purnima or Dol Purnima. Holi and Laxmi Jayanti are celebrated on this day. This is the also birthday of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

April 10: Chaitra Purnima. On this day prayers are offered to Chandra Devta and rice is given in daan. Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated on this day.

May 10: Vaishakha Purnima or Buddha Purnima. This is the day of Birth, Enlightenment and Nirvan attainment of Gautam Buddha. He was born in Lumbini in Nepal and attained Nirvan under Mahabodhi tree in Bodh Gaya. Sri Kurma Jayanti is also celebrated on this day of Vaishakh Shukl. Kurma was second avatar of Bhagwan Vishnu.

June 9: Jayestha Purnima or Vat Purnima. On this day women tie a thread around a Banyan vat and listen to Savitri story. Yam devta is worshipped on this day.

July 8: Ashadh Purnima or Vyas Purnima or Guru Purnima. Gu is darkness or ignorance and ru is the remover.

August 7: Sharavan Purnima or Narali Purnima. Raksha Bandhan and Hayagriva Jayanti are celebrated on this day. Rigved and Yajurved Upakarm are done on this day. There is Pakshik Chandragrahan also on this day.

September 5: Bhadrapad Purnima or Madhu Purnima or Sharaddh Purnima. Prayers are offered to Indra Devta on this day. Honey and fruits are an integral part of celebration in Buddh religion.

October 5: Ashvin Purnima or Sharad Purnima or Kojagari Purnima or Kuanr Purnima or Raas Purnima. It is the day of Kaumudi celebration and prayers are offered to Lakshmi Devi and Indra Devta.

November 3: Kartik Purnima or Tripuri or Tripurari Purnima. Dev Deepavali is celebrated on this day. This is the day of appearance of Matsya avatar or first avatar of Bhagwan Vishnu. Bhagwan Kartikey was born on this day. Prabodhini Ekadashi and Pushkar mela end on this day. This is the last day to perform Tulsi vivah. People do Kartik snan on this day by taking a dip in Ganga or Pushkar lake. Annakut is observed on this day. Guru Nanak Jayanti or Guru Purab or Prakash Parv is also celebrated on this day.

December 3: Margashirsha Purnima. Dattatreya Jayanti is celebrated on this day.