Sharad Purnima: Story, Significance, and How It's Celebrated

Sharad Purnima is the full moon festival of the autumn month of Ashwin, considered in tradition to be the year’s brightest and most complete full moon, associated with Krishna’s raas leela (his circular dance with the gopis of Vrindavan) and a widely known custom of leaving sweetened milk or kheer out under the moonlight overnight.

When it falls

Sharad Purnima falls on the full moon (Purnima) of the lunar month of Ashwin, typically in October, shortly after Navratri concludes. Check a current panchang for the exact date in a given year.

The story and significance

Tradition holds that on this night, Krishna performed the raas leela with the gopis (cowherd maidens) of Vrindavan under a full moon of extraordinary brightness — a story read less as a literal historical account and more as an expression of divine love and the soul’s longing for union with the divine, a recurring theme in Krishna devotional literature. See Radha and Krishna: Love and Devotion for more on this symbolic tradition.

The moon itself is treated as significant on this night — believed in tradition to be closest to earth and radiating particularly potent, nourishing light, which is the basis for the festival’s best-known custom.

The kheer-under-moonlight tradition

Many households prepare kheer (a sweet rice pudding) and place it outdoors, or near an open window, under the night’s moonlight before consuming it the following morning. The custom is explained traditionally as the moonlight infusing the kheer with beneficial qualities overnight, and the night is more broadly treated as auspicious for anyone spending time outdoors in the moonlight.

Common questions

When is Sharad Purnima celebrated?

On the full moon of the lunar month of Ashwin, typically in October — check a current panchang for the exact date.

What is the significance of the kheer tradition?

Kheer is left under the night’s moonlight, believed in tradition to absorb beneficial qualities from what’s considered the year’s brightest, most potent full moon.

What does Sharad Purnima commemorate?

Krishna’s raas leela — his circular dance with the gopis of Vrindavan — read as a symbol of divine love and the soul’s longing for union with the divine.

Is Sharad Purnima connected to Navratri?

It falls shortly after Navratri concludes, both within the broader autumn festival season — see What Is Navratri? for the festival that precedes it.