Sharad Purnima 2026 falls on Sunday, 25 October 2026. In Dubai the moon rises at 05:05 PM, and the Purnima tithi runs from 10:25 AM on 25 October to 08:11 AM on 26 October.
This is the harvest full moon, the one night of the year the moon is said to be complete in all sixteen kalas. The ritual everyone knows is the kheer: a bowl of it is left out in the moonlight through the night and eaten the next morning.
All timings on this page are calculated for Dubai in Gulf Standard Time.
Sharad Purnima 2026 at a glance
- Date: Sunday, 25 October 2026
- Moonrise (Dubai): 05:05 PM
- Purnima tithi begins: 10:25 AM, 25 October
- Purnima tithi ends: 08:11 AM, 26 October
- Sunset: 5:42 PM
- Also this night: Kojagara Puja, the Lakshmi vigil
- Lunar month: Ashwina, Shukla Paksha
Moonrise, tithi window and the Kojagara Nishita time, all calculated for Dubai.
Why This Full Moon Is Different
Every lunar month has a Purnima. This one is singled out for a simple reason: it falls at the end of the monsoon, when the sky over the subcontinent finally clears, and the moon appears brighter and closer than it has all year.
The tradition puts it in the language of kalas, the sixteen aspects of completeness. On Sharad Purnima the moon is held to have all sixteen. Nothing is missing from it.
Because of that, the moonlight itself is treated as the offering. It is said to carry amrit, and food left under it takes something of that in. This is the only night in the Hindu year where the ritual object is light rather than fire.
Sharad Purnima 2026 Timings for the UAE
| Observance | Date and Time (Dubai) |
| Sharad Purnima 2026 | Sunday, 25 October 2026 |
| Moonrise | 05:05 PM |
| Sunset | 05:42 PM |
| Purnima Tithi Begins | 10:25 AM, 25 October 2026 |
| Purnima Tithi Ends | 08:11 AM, 26 October 2026 |
| Kojagara Nishita Puja | 11:38 PM to 12:29 AM, 26 October |
Note that the moon rises at 05:05 PM, thirty-seven minutes before sunset. It will be visible but pale at first, and comes into its own after about half past six.
The Kheer Ritual, Properly Done
This is the part that matters, and it is often done in a way that misses the point.
- Make the kheer in the evening, after the moon has risen. Full-fat milk reduced slowly with rice, sugar, cardamom, and almonds or pistachios.
- Use a silver or clay vessel if you have one. Silver is the traditional choice and silver foil is often laid across the surface. Steel is fine; plastic is not.
- Offer it first at the mandir with a lamp, then take it to where the moonlight actually falls.
- Cover it with a thin muslin, not a lid. The cloth keeps dust and insects out while letting the light through. A sealed lid defeats the whole ritual.
- Leave it through the night, from moonrise until close to dawn.
- Eat it in the morning, before the Purnima tithi ends at 08:11 AM on the 26th, and share it around the household.
If you have not made kheer before, our simple kheer recipe for prasad gives the proportions and the timing.
One practical caution for the UAE specifically. October nights here are still warm and humid, often 26 to 30 degrees. Milk left out for eight hours in that will spoil, and the tradition is not worth a stomach upset. The workable compromise most families here use: leave it in the moonlight for two or three hours in the evening, then refrigerate it overnight and eat it in the morning. The moonlight has done its part.
For the moonlight kheer
Silver foil for the surface, a lamp for the vigil, and a thali to carry it out.
The Puja Itself
The evening puja is short. It is the vigil that carries the night.
- Bathe and clean the mandir in the late afternoon, before moonrise.
- At 05:05 PM, when the moon rises, offer arghya: water poured slowly from a kalash while facing the moon.
- Light a ghee lamp and offer white flowers, rice and a little kheer.
- Chant Om Chandraya Namaha, or Om Shreem Mahalakshmyai Namaha if you are keeping the Kojagara vigil.
- Set the kheer out in the moonlight.
- Break any fast after the moon darshan, with the kheer or a light satvik meal.
Many families keep a day fast on Sharad Purnima, taking only fruit and milk until the moon is sighted. It is optional and is not part of the core observance.
For the moonrise arghya
A kalash for the water, kumkum for the tilak, camphor to close.
Krishna, Lakshmi and the Same Night
Three traditions sit on this one full moon, and which one your family keeps depends on where you are from.
The Maha Raas. In the Braj tradition this is the night Krishna played the flute at Vrindavan and danced with the gopis, multiplying himself so each one believed he was with her alone. Temples in Mathura and Vrindavan mark it as one of the biggest nights of the year.
Kojagara Puja. In Bengal, Odisha, Assam, Mithila and Maharashtra the night belongs to Lakshmi. The name is a question, ko jagarti, who is awake, because the goddess is said to walk at midnight and bless those still keeping watch. Our Kojagara Puja guide covers the Nishita timing and the vigil.
Ashwina Purnima Vrat. The plain full-moon fast, kept for the moon itself.
None of these cancels the others. Plenty of families in the UAE make the kheer, do a short Lakshmi puja at midnight, and call it one night.
Sharad Purnima in the UAE
25 October 2026 is a Sunday, a weekend day here. That is unusually convenient for a festival whose central act happens between moonrise and midnight, and it means the Kojagara Nishita window at 11:38 PM is actually reachable without anyone facing a Monday alarm.
Where the moonlight falls is the real problem. Most Indian families in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi live in apartments, and a balcony that faces the wrong way gets no direct moon at all. Work it out a night or two before. The moon rises in the east, so an east or south-facing balcony or window ledge is what you want between six and ten in the evening. A windowsill inside the glass is less ideal but widely accepted, and better than not doing it.
Milk is the sourcing item. Full-fat milk for kheer disappears fast on the day itself because Sharad Purnima, Karwa Chauth on the 29th and Diwali in early November all land within a fortnight. Buy on the 23rd or 24th.
Timing note. Everything here is Gulf Standard Time. Indian moonrise times are roughly an hour and a half ahead and are also location-specific, so a Delhi or Mumbai time will not match Dubai. This is one festival where using an Indian app genuinely gets you the wrong answer, because moonrise varies by longitude as well as by time zone.
For the wider season, our guides to Navratri 2026, Karwa Chauth and Diwali 2026 in the UAE cover the weeks either side.
Frequently asked questions
When is Sharad Purnima 2026?
Sunday, 25 October 2026. In Dubai the moon rises at 05:05 PM and the Purnima tithi runs from 10:25 AM on the 25th to 08:11 AM on the 26th.
Why is kheer left out in the moonlight?
Because on this one night the moon is held to have all sixteen kalas, its full complement, and its light is said to carry amrit. Milk is treated as the substance that takes that in best. The kheer is the vessel for the moonlight, not an offering to it.
Is it safe to leave kheer out all night in the UAE?
Not in October here, when nights stay warm and humid. Leave it in the moonlight for two or three hours in the evening, then refrigerate it and eat it in the morning. This is what most UAE families do and it keeps the ritual without the risk.
What should the kheer be kept in?
Silver traditionally, or clay. Silver foil laid across the surface is the common compromise. Steel is acceptable. Avoid plastic, and cover with thin muslin rather than a lid so the light still reaches it.
What is the difference between Sharad Purnima and Kojagara Puja?
They are the same night seen two ways. Sharad Purnima is the full moon itself and the kheer ritual. Kojagara Puja is the Lakshmi vigil kept through that night, with a Nishita puja at 11:38 PM in Dubai this year. Many families keep both.
Is fasting required on Sharad Purnima?
No. Some keep a day fast on fruit and milk until moon darshan, then break it with the kheer. It is optional and the kheer ritual is complete without it.
My balcony does not face the moon. What do I do?
A window ledge works, even behind glass. If nothing in the flat catches the moon, take the bowl down to the building's terrace or garden for an hour. The intention and the exposure are what matter, not the duration.
Can I do this if I am not from a Krishna or Lakshmi tradition?
Yes. The Ashwina Purnima vrat is simply the full-moon observance, kept for the moon. The kheer ritual belongs to all of them and needs no particular sampradaya.
Bringing it home
Sunday 25 October, moon up at 05:05 PM. Make the kheer, find the light, and put the bowl where it falls. Then, if you are still awake at 11:38 PM, the goddess is said to be asking who is.
Every date this season is on our Hindu Festival and Tithi Calendar for the UAE.
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