Amavasya / Purnima Vrat Calendar 2016
A month-by-month list of every Purnima (full moon) and Amavasya (new moon) of the year, named by its lunar month, with the festivity kept on it — from Holi, Buddha Purnima, Guru Purnima and Sharad Purnima to Mauni Amavasya, Mahalaya and Diwali — and the tithi start and end timing of each.
Amavasya / Purnima Vrat 2016 lists 25 dates, beginning with Pausha Amavasya on 9 January.
Full Moon & New Moon Days
January 2016
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Pausha Amavasya Vrat
Tithi 7:54 AM – 7:00 AM, Jan 10
The new moon (Amavasya) — a day for ancestral tarpan and Shraddha, and quiet worship of Shiva and the Pitrs.
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Pausha Purnima Vrat
Tithi 7:15 AM, Jan 23 – 7:15 AM
The full moon (Purnima) — a day for fasting, a holy dip, charity and Satyanarayana Puja. It is also kept as Shakambhari Purnima.
February 2016
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Magha Amavasya (Mauni Amavasya)
Tithi 10:22 PM, Feb 7 – 8:13 PM
The new moon of Magha — Mauni Amavasya, kept in silence (mauna) with a holy dip, the most sacred bathing day of the Magha Mela.
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Magha Purnima
Tithi 10:32 PM, Feb 21 – 11:43 PM
The full moon of Magha (Maghi Purnima) — the great day of the Magha snana, a holy bath at the sacred river confluences.
March 2016
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Phalguna Amavasya Vrat
Tithi 10:41 AM, Mar 8 – 7:24 AM
The new moon (Amavasya) — a day for ancestral tarpan and Shraddha, and quiet worship of Shiva and the Pitrs.
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Phalguna Purnima (Holi)
Tithi 3:10 PM, Mar 22 – 5:29 PM
The full moon of Phalguna — Holika Dahan and Dol Purnima, the full moon of the Holi festival.
April 2016
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Chaitra Amavasya Vrat
Tithi 8:37 PM, Apr 6 – 4:54 PM
The new moon (Amavasya) — a day for ancestral tarpan and Shraddha, and quiet worship of Shiva and the Pitrs.
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Chaitra Purnima (Hanuman Jayanti)
Tithi 8:21 AM, Apr 21 – 10:53 AM
The full moon of Chaitra — kept as Hanuman Jayanti across much of India.
May 2016
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Vaishakha Amavasya Vrat
Tithi 4:47 AM – 1:00 AM, May 7
The new moon (Amavasya) — a day for ancestral tarpan and Shraddha, and quiet worship of Shiva and the Pitrs.
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Vaishakha Purnima (Buddha Purnima)
Tithi 12:42 AM – 2:50 AM, May 22
The full moon of Vaishakha — Buddha Purnima, the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of Gautama Buddha.
June 2016
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Jyeshtha Amavasya (Shani Jayanti)
Tithi 11:45 AM, Jun 4 – 8:29 AM
The new moon of Jyeshtha — Shani Jayanti, the appearance day of Lord Shani; in the south, Vat Savitri Vrat falls on this new moon.
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Jyeshtha Purnima (Vat Purnima)
Tithi 3:35 PM, Jun 19 – 4:34 PM
The full moon of Jyeshtha — Vat Purnima, when married women circle the banyan for their husbands, and Deva Snana Purnima of Lord Jagannath.
July 2016
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Ashadha Amavasya Vrat
Tithi 6:50 PM, Jul 3 – 4:27 PM
The new moon (Amavasya) — a day for ancestral tarpan and Shraddha, and quiet worship of Shiva and the Pitrs. Kept as Halharini / Deep Amavasya.
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Ashadha Purnima (Guru Purnima)
Tithi 4:40 AM – 4:40 AM, Jul 20
The full moon of Ashadha — Guru Purnima, a day to honour one's guru and the sage Veda Vyasa.
August 2016
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Shravana Amavasya (Hariyali Amavasya)
Tithi 3:14 AM – 2:02 AM, Aug 3
The new moon of Shravana — Hariyali Amavasya, when saplings are planted and Lord Shiva is worshipped in the monsoon greenery.
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Shravana Purnima (Raksha Bandhan)
Tithi 4:32 PM, Aug 17 – 2:58 PM
The full moon of Shravana — Raksha Bandhan and Narali Purnima, also the day of Upakarma (sacred-thread renewal).
September 2016
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Bhadrapada Amavasya Vrat
Tithi 1:57 PM, Aug 31 – 2:31 PM
The new moon (Amavasya) — a day for ancestral tarpan and Shraddha, and quiet worship of Shiva and the Pitrs. Kept as Kushotpatini (Pithori) Amavasya, when kusha grass is gathered for the year's rituals.
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Bhadrapada Purnima Vrat
Tithi 3:15 AM – 12:44 AM, Sep 17
The full moon (Purnima) — a day for fasting, a holy dip, charity and Satyanarayana Puja. It falls on the eve of Pitru Paksha; the Proshthapadi Purnima Shraddha is offered.
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Ashwina Amavasya (Mahalaya)
Tithi 3:55 AM – 5:32 AM, Oct 1
The new moon of Ashwina — Mahalaya / Sarva Pitru Amavasya, the last and most important day of Pitru Paksha for ancestral tarpan.
October 2016
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Ashwina Purnima (Sharad Purnima)
Tithi 1:31 PM, Oct 15 – 9:53 AM
The full moon of Ashwina — Sharad Purnima and Kojagari Lakshmi Puja, when kheer is set out under the harvest moon.
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Kartika Amavasya (Diwali)
Tithi 8:39 PM, Oct 29 – 11:07 PM
The new moon of Kartika — the Diwali night of Lakshmi Puja and Kali Puja in Bengal.
November 2016
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Kartika Purnima (Dev Deepavali)
Tithi 11:18 PM, Nov 13 – 7:23 PM
The full moon of Kartika — Dev Deepavali and Guru Nanak Jayanti, when ghats and temples blaze with rows of lamps.
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Margashirsha Amavasya Vrat
Tithi 3:22 PM, Nov 28 – 5:49 PM
The new moon (Amavasya) — a day for ancestral tarpan and Shraddha, and quiet worship of Shiva and the Pitrs.
December 2016
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Margashirsha Purnima (Datta Jayanti)
Tithi 9:16 AM – 5:35 AM, Dec 14
The full moon of Margashirsha — kept with the worship of Lord Dattatreya (Datta Jayanti).
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Pausha Amavasya Vrat
Tithi 10:43 AM, Dec 28 – 12:23 PM
The new moon (Amavasya) — a day for ancestral tarpan and Shraddha, and quiet worship of Shiva and the Pitrs.
Tithi start and end times are shown in your local time. Festival dates follow the standard Indian (sunrise) calendar and may vary by a day in other regions, and may differ slightly from regional almanacs (especially around an Adhik Maas).
About the Amavasya / Purnima Vrat Calendar
A month-by-month list of every Purnima (full moon) and Amavasya (new moon) of the year, named by its lunar month, with the festivity kept on it — from Holi, Buddha Purnima, Guru Purnima and Sharad Purnima to Mauni Amavasya, Mahalaya and Diwali — and the tithi start and end timing of each.
Each entry lists the festival or vrat with its date, the prevailing tithi, and a short note on the observance. Dates are shown for the current and the coming year.