Pournami — Purnima or the full moon day — is the fifteenth and final tithi of the Shukla Paksha, when the moon is fully illuminated. In the Hindu lunar calendar the full moon is considered a time of heightened spiritual energy and emotional fullness, and each month's Pournami carries its own observances. It is one of the most auspicious tithis for worship, vratas, and charitable acts.

Monthly Observances

Many Telugu families keep a fast on Pournami and perform the Satyanarayana Vratam in the evening — one of the most popular household pujas, offering sapatha (a wheat-and-jaggery prasadam) and reading the Satyanarayana katha. The full moon is also associated with Goddess Lakshmi and with Lord Vishnu; lamps, meditation, and japa are considered especially fruitful on this night. Some devotees observe every Pournami; others choose specific ones tied to a deity or vow.

The Great Purnimas of the Year

Several Pournamis are major festivals in their own right: Chaitra Purnima (Hanuman Jayanti), Vaishakha Purnima (Buddha Purnima), Jyeshtha Purnima (Snana Yatra at Puri), Ashadha Purnima (Guru Purnima), Shravana Purnima (Raksha Bandhan and Varalakshmi season), Ashwayuja/Sharad Purnima, Karthika Purnima (Tripuri Purnima and Karthigai Deepam), and Magha Purnima (the holy bathing culmination). Each of these has its own article and rituals.

How the App Tracks Pournami

Because the lunar month does not align with the Gregorian calendar, the exact date of each Pournami shifts every year. Mana Panchangam computes the full moon tithi from astronomical calculations, so the app always shows the correct Pournami date, the time the tithi begins and ends, and the associated festival — no need to consult a paper calendar.