Festival · Shravana Purnima
Narali Purnima 2026
On the full moon of Shravana, the Koli fishing community gives a coconut to the sea. The monsoon eases, and the boats head back out!
Date, tithi and timing
Times are for London. The app gives times for your city.
Date by city
The date is the same in every city listed.
Next year, 2027
Quick facts
- Also known asShravani Purnima, Rakhi Purnima
- WhereCoastal Maharashtra and the Konkan; the Kolis and fishing families of the west coast
- Puja forVaruna, god of the sea (Darya Raja to the Kolis)
- In one lineA coconut of thanks to the sea, to Varuna: may the new fishing season go well.
Narali Purnima, in a little more detail
- 01
About the festival
In the monsoon the sea is rough, and it's the season when the fish breed. So the fishing families keep their boats on the shore.
By the full moon of Shravana the winds die down. Today the sea is worshipped and given a coconut, and then the boats go back in the water and fishing starts again.
Why a coconut? Its water and its flesh are both pure, with nothing mixed in. The sea that keeps the home going gets the purest gift there is. That's the lesson of the day: thank what gives to you.
- 02
Rama, Varuna and the bridge
Rama set out for Lanka to rescue Sita, but the endless sea lay in between. He prayed to Varuna to let him pass. Varuna didn't come.
So Rama loosed his weapons at the sea, and it began to dry up. Varuna came forward in fear, hands folded. Nala the vanara can build you a bridge, he said, and I will keep his stones afloat.
Nala built the bridge in five days. A legend says today's coconut is a thank-you to Varuna for holding that bridge up.
- 03
In Maharashtra and beyond
In the Koliwadas of Mumbai, Thane and Palghar, rangolis go up. Koli men and women in traditional dress dance down the lanes to the shore, and give the sea its coconut.
At home there's narali bhat, sweet rice with coconut and jaggery. Today belongs to the coconut!
On this same full moon many homes keep Shravani, when the old sacred thread is changed for a new one. And sisters tie rakhis too; more on that on the Raksha Bandhan page.
Fishing families in Goa, Gujarat and elsewhere on the west coast give the sea a coconut today too.
How to do the puja
In short: Worship the sea, give it a coconut with thanks, and keep well back from the waves.
- 1Bathe in the morning; in many homes people wear new or traditional clothes.Koli families set out for the shore in their festive best.
- 2Set a whole coconut aside for the sea, with haldi-kunku and flowers.Pick a ripe coconut with water in it. Many put kunku on it and tie on a flower.
- 3Walk to the shore with the family, or with the Koliwada procession.Far from the sea, a river or a lake will do, or a kalash of water and a picture of Varuna at home.
- 4Worship the sea: haldi-kunku, akshata, flowers and a lamp.The sea is held to be Varuna’s home. Fold your hands and give thanks for all it gives.
- 5Offer the coconut to the sea from the edge of the water.Let the coconut go gently into shallow, calm water. Don't wade in after it: the monsoon sea is still strong.
- 6Back home, offer narali bhat as naivedya.Sweet rice with coconut and jaggery. In many homes, coconut barfi too.
- 7If your family ties rakhis today, tie them too.How to tie a rakhi is on the Raksha Bandhan page.
What you needTick as you go
0 of 6 ready
Frequently asked questions
What should never go into the sea?
Offer only the coconut. Plastic bags, thermocol, plastic flowers and puja waste stay out of the sea: take them home.
I live far from the sea. Can I still keep the day?
Yes. Worship a river or a lake, or a kalash of water at home, offer the coconut, and make narali bhat. It's the thanks that counts, not the place.
Is it safe to go into the water?
No. The monsoon isn't over, and the waves and the pull are strong. Offer from the shore, stay off wet rocks, hold children's hands, and follow what the police or lifeguards say.
What is Shravani?
There's an old Vedic custom, on this same full moon, of changing the sacred thread (janave) for a new one. Do the rite your family's way, with your priest's guidance.
Set a reminder in the app
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