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Amavasya and Purnima: New Moon, Full Moon, and Household Practice
A clear guide to new-moon and full-moon tithis — what families actually do, why dates shift, and how to check them by city.
Two poles of the lunar month
Amavasya is the new-moon tithi, when the Moon is aligned near the Sun and the night is dark. Purnima is the full-moon tithi, when the Moon is opposite the Sun and the night is bright. Together they bookend the pakshas: Krishna toward amavasya, Shukla toward purnima.
Because a tithi is twelve degrees of elongation, these days do not start at midnight. They can begin in the afternoon and end the next morning. That is why “is it purnima today?” can have a longer answer than a wall calendar box.
What households actually do
On many amavasya days, families perform tarpan or visit a river or temple for ancestral remembrance. Some keep a quieter kitchen. On many purnima days, Satyanarayana katha, holy baths, and community vratas appear. Regional lists differ: a Bengali household, a Tamil household, and a Punjabi household will not stage the same programme.
Mauni amavasya, somvati amavasya, and guru purnima are named instances with extra stories. The daily panchang still starts with: is the tithi present at sunrise in my city?
- Amavasya: often ancestral rites, some fasts, dark-fortnight close.
- Purnima: often satyanarayan, holy bath, bright-fortnight close.
- Named variants follow extra rules — check the vrat page for that date.
City sunrise still matters
A snan at Prayagraj should use Prayagraj sunrise, not a Delhi WhatsApp. Tithi.live city hubs exist so the lunar day and the solar clock stay in the same conversation.
If you travel for a snan, switch the city when you arrive. Carrying yesterday’s clock is how groups miss the tithi they came for.
Amanta vs purnimanta naming
Some regions name the lunar month by the amavasya ending (amanta); others emphasise purnima in month naming (purnimanta). The Moon does not care. Your uncle might say a different month name for the same purnima. Our hindu-calendar-months guide is the translator.
Frequently asked questions
Is amavasya always inauspicious?
No. Many families treat amavasya as a day for ancestral rites, some vratas, and quiet reset — not as a globally “cursed” weekday. Auspiciousness depends on the act and the tradition.
Why is purnima on a different English date every year?
Purnima is a lunar tithi. The Gregorian calendar is solar-civil. The pair only lines up by astronomy, so the English date walks through the months over the years.