Buddha Purnima
Vaishakha Purnima, commemorating the birth, enlightenment and nirvana of the Buddha.
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- CategoryFestival Major
- Defining tithi / momentShukla Paksha Purnima: to
- Lunar monthVaishakha Shukla Paksha (same name in Amanta and Purnimanta)
Timings on Thursday, 20 May 2027
Rule applied: Smarta — The tithi covers the required time on this day only.
About Buddha Purnima
Significance
Buddha Purnima, known across Asia as Vesak, is the most important day of the Buddhist year. In the Theravada tradition, as handed down in the commentaries and kept in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and India, the full moon of Vesakha (Vaishakha) marks three events in the life of Siddhartha Gautama: his birth at Lumbini, his awakening under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya, and his final passing (parinibbana) at Kushinagar. The Mahaparinibbana Sutta of the Digha Nikaya describes the last journey and passing of the Buddha.
In 1999 the United Nations General Assembly (resolution 54/115) recognised the Day of Vesak internationally, acknowledging the contribution of Buddhism to humanity. Some Puranas, among them the Bhagavata Purana (1.3.24), count a Buddha among the avataras of Vishnu; that is a Hindu reading which Buddhist traditions do not share, and the day is described here in its Buddhist meaning.
How and where it is observed
In India the great centres are Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Kushinagar, with Lumbini just across the border in Nepal, and the day is a gazetted holiday of the Government of India. Theravada countries keep Vesak by their own lunar calendars, which can place it a day, and in some years a month, apart from the Hindu Panchang date. East Asian Mahayana traditions celebrate the birth separately, often on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month (8 April in Japan), and the Tibetan Saga Dawa falls on the full moon of the fourth Tibetan month.
Rituals
Lay Buddhists visit viharas and stupas, offer flowers, lamps and incense, listen to the Dhamma and in many communities take the eight precepts for the day. Giving (dana) to monks and to the needy is central: in Sri Lanka roadside stalls (dansal) serve free food and streets are hung with Vesak lanterns. Bathing an image of the infant Buddha is a Mahayana custom, and at Bodh Gaya pilgrims gather in meditation and chanting around the Mahabodhi temple.
How the date is fixed
In the Hindu Panchang Buddha Purnima is Vaishakha Purnima, the full moon ending the bright fortnight of Vaishakha, the same month name in the Amanta and Purnimanta calendars. The date shown is the day on which Purnima prevails at sunrise (udaya tithi), the first such day when it is present at two sunrises, and the day that contains it when it touches no sunrise. Buddhist calendars of Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, and Buddhist organisations in India, may announce a different day; follow your vihara.
Sources
- United Nations: Day of Vesak (General Assembly resolution 54/115, 1999)
- Digha Nikaya 16, Mahaparinibbana Sutta
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Vesak
- Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India: holiday lists for Central Government offices
Customs differ between regions, communities and families; this description is background, not a prescription. The date above is calculated by the rule shown on this page.
How the date is determined
- The date is Vaishakha Shukla Paksha Purnima; the month name is the same in the Amanta and Purnimanta systems.
- It falls on the day when this tithi prevails at local sunrise (udaya tithi).
- If the tithi is present at two sunrises (a vriddhi tithi), the first day is taken.
- If the tithi does not touch that period on any day (a kshaya tithi), the Hindu day on which the tithi prevails longest is used.
- In a year with an Adhik month of the same name, it is observed in the regular (Nija) month.
Traditional variation
Observed on the day the tithi prevails at sunrise (udaya tithi). Regional Panchangs may differ when the tithi is kshaya or spans two sunrises.
This is the date given by the rule shown above for the selected place. It is not the only valid date: regional Panchangs, family customs and sampradayas may observe it on a different day.
Rule source: Tithi–kaal rule of the Dharmashastra digests (Nirnaya Sindhu / Dharma Sindhu), as applied by modern drik-ganita (computed) Panchangs
Traditions may vary by region and Panchang convention. Times are shown for the selected place, time zone and calculation profile.
Calculated with engine 1.4.2 · rules rules-2026-10-21-2ab12b5d · profile north-lahiri-calibrated v1 · ayanamsa lahiri_drik_compat · astronomy-engine@2.1.19 · Europe/London
Dates in 2026
| Date | Defining tithi / moment | Time windows | Decision notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01/05/2026 (Fri)
Vaishakha Shukla Paksha (same name in Amanta and Purnimanta) |
Shukla Paksha Purnima: to | — | Standard rule applied |
Dates in 2027
| Date | Defining tithi / moment | Time windows | Decision notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20/05/2027 (Thu)
Next
Vaishakha Shukla Paksha (same name in Amanta and Purnimanta) |
Shukla Paksha Purnima: to | — | Standard rule applied |