SS Bhakthi

Namaskaram

2026

Aswayuja Pournami 2026

…

Key details

For Hyderabad

Aswayuja Pournami

Aswayuja Pournami: Sharad Purnima and the Night of Lakshmi

Aswayuja Pournami is the full moon of Aswayuja Shukla Paksha, arriving a few days after Dasara. It is also known as Sharad Purnima and Kojagari Purnima. Families worship Goddess Lakshmi at night and share paayasam that has been kept under the moonlight. The day is also celebrated as Valmiki Jayanti, the birthday of the Adi Kavi.

The Kojagari Belief

After the monsoon, the autumn sky clears and elders say the Sharad moon is the brightest of the year. Tradition holds that on this night Lakshmi moves across the earth asking "Ko jagarti?" meaning "Who is awake?", and she blesses the homes where devotees stay awake remembering her. This is where the name Kojagari comes from. According to the Bhagavata tradition, Sri Krishna's Rasa Leela with the gopikas in Brindavan also took place under the Sharad full moon.

How to Perform the Puja

  • Take a head bath in the morning, clean the house and puja room, and tie mango-leaf toranams on the doors.
  • In the evening, worship Lakshmi with turmeric, kumkum and lotus or red flowers. Chant Lakshmi Ashtottaram or Sri Suktam if you know it.
  • Light ghee or sesame oil lamps at the entrance and near the Tulasi kota.
  • Prepare paayasam with milk, rice and jaggery or sugar, cover it with a thin cloth and keep it in the moonlight for some time.
  • Offer arghya to the Moon, offer the paayasam as naivedyam and share it with the family as prasadam.

Fasting and Jagarana

Some people fast during the day and eat after the night puja. Staying awake for part of the night with bhajans, Lakshmi stotras and nama sankirtana is the heart of the Kojagari custom. If staying up all night is not possible, spending some time in devotion after moonrise is enough. Elders advise keeping the home clean and peaceful, avoiding quarrels, as this invites Lakshmi's grace.

Valmiki Jayanti

Aswayuja Pournami is also the birthday of Maharshi Valmiki, author of the Ramayana. Reading a few sargas of the Ramayana or narrating Rama's story to children is a lovely way to mark the day.

May Sri Mahalakshmi's grace fill your home as softly and fully as the Sharad moonlight.

Frequently asked questions

When is Aswayuja Pournami?
Aswayuja Pournami falls on the full moon tithi of Aswayuja Shukla Paksha, a few days after Dasara. It is also called Sharad Purnima or Kojagari Purnima.
What is Kojagari Purnima?
Kojagari Purnima is the custom of worshipping Lakshmi and staying awake on the night of Aswayuja Pournami. Tradition says Lakshmi asks "Who is awake?" that night and blesses devoted homes.
Why is paayasam kept in the moonlight on Sharad Purnima?
By tradition, the Sharad full moon's light is considered especially pure, and paayasam kept in it becomes special prasadam. It is covered with a cloth, kept outside for a while, offered to God and then shared.
Which deity is worshipped on Aswayuja Pournami?
Goddess Lakshmi is the main deity, and arghya is offered to the Moon. Since it is also Valmiki Jayanti, many people read from the Ramayana.
Is it necessary to stay awake all night on Kojagari?
It is not compulsory. Spending some time after moonrise chanting Lakshmi stotras or singing bhajans is also considered a sincere jagarana.
What should I eat on Aswayuja Pournami?
Those who fast eat a sattvic meal after the night puja and break the fast with the moonlit paayasam prasadam. Milk and fruits are fine during the day for those who cannot fully fast.

Comments

Please login to leave a comment

Loading comments...