Festival · 2027
Mauni Amavasya 2027 — Saturday, 6 February 2027
Mauni Amavasya is the new Moon of Magha, kept with a holy bath at dawn, a day of silence and quiet giving, and the largest bathing day of the Magh Mela at Prayagraj.
In 2026
Sunday, 18 January 2026
- Tithi
- Amavasya: 18 Jan, 12:04 AM – 19 Jan, 1:21 AM
- Lunar month
- Magha (purnimanta) / Pausha (amanta)
- Sunrise / sunset
- 7:14 AM / 5:48 PM
Rule: Magha Amavasya (Pausha Amavasya in the amanta reckoning) on the day it holds at sunrise; if it touches no sunrise, the day it begins.
In 2027
Saturday, 6 February 2027
- Tithi
- Amavasya: 5 Feb, 7:05 PM – 6 Feb, 9:26 PM
- Lunar month
- Magha (purnimanta) / Pausha (amanta)
- Sunrise / sunset
- 7:06 AM / 6:04 PM
Rule: Magha Amavasya (Pausha Amavasya in the amanta reckoning) on the day it holds at sunrise; if it touches no sunrise, the day it begins.
Times follow New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. In other cities the muhurat shifts by some minutes, and occasionally the day by one. Full festival calendar
What is Mauni Amavasya?
Mauni Amavasya is the new Moon that falls in the month of Magha, in the heart of winter. The month of Magha as a whole is held sacred for bathing, and the Puranas praise the Magha bath, especially at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna at Prayagraj. Of all the days of that month, the Amavasya is regarded as the most important, and in years of the Kumbh Mela it is usually the day of the largest royal bath, when the akharas of sadhus lead the procession to the water.
The word mauni comes from mauna, silence. Many observers keep silence for the whole day, or at least until after the morning bath and prayers. Tradition explains the name in more than one way: some link it to the word muni, a sage who has made silence his practice, and others to the idea that speech drains the mind while stillness gathers it. Whatever the explanation, the practice is simple: speak less, listen inward, and let the day be quiet.
Like every Amavasya, the day is also associated with remembering one’s ancestors. Many families offer water and sesame to the forefathers after bathing, and give food, warm clothes, blankets or sesame and jaggery to those who need them. In the cold of Magha, giving warmth is seen as the most natural kind of charity, and many people make the day as much about giving as about the bath.
For those who cannot travel to a river, the tradition is gentle. A bath at home before sunrise, with a little Ganga water added if one has it, a few moments of prayer or japa, and a day of restraint in speech and food is considered a full observance. The emphasis is on the inner quiet the day invites, not on outward display.
How it is observed
- Bathing before or at sunrise, in the Ganga or at the Sangam in Prayagraj for those who can travel there, or at home.
- Keeping silence for the day or for part of it, especially through the bath and morning prayer.
- Offering water and sesame to the ancestors after the bath.
- Giving food, sesame and jaggery, blankets or warm clothes to those in need.
- Spending time in japa, meditation or reading scripture rather than conversation.
- Eating simply, and for some, keeping a fast until the evening.
How the date is fixed
Mauni Amavasya is the Amavasya of Magha as north Indian (purnimanta) calendars name the months, which amanta calendars call the Amavasya of Pausha; it is the same new Moon under two names. Our calendar keeps it on the day Amavasya holds at sunrise, because the observance centres on the dawn bath. If the Amavasya begins and ends without touching any sunrise, the day it begins is taken. The date, and the start and end of the Amavasya shown above, are worked out this way for your place.
Where practice differs
The day is at its grandest at Prayagraj, where the Magh Mela is held every year and the Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh in their turn, and it is also a major bathing day at Haridwar, Varanasi and other river towns of the north. In Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and other amanta regions, the same new Moon is called Pausha Amavasya, and the silence and bathing customs are kept less widely there. Some almanacs fix Amavasya observances by the tithi at other times of day, such as the afternoon for ancestral rites, so a calendar may show another day in years when the tithi falls across two days.
Dates and times are computed by our own engine (sunrise, tithi and kalas for New Delhi, Lahiri ayanamsa). In another city, or in an almanac of another tradition, the day can differ by one — follow your family’s tradition.
Questions people ask
Why is silence kept on Mauni Amavasya?
The name comes from mauna, silence. Tradition sees a day of silence as a way to still the mind, and many keep it at least through the morning bath and prayers. It is a personal practice, and people keep as much of it as suits them.
What is the best time for the Mauni Amavasya bath?
Tradition favours the early morning, before or at sunrise, which is why our calendar fixes the day by the Amavasya at sunrise. The sunrise time and the span of the Amavasya are shown above.
Is Mauni Amavasya in Magha or Pausha?
Both names are correct. North Indian calendars, which end the month at the full Moon, call it Magha Amavasya; amanta calendars, which end the month at the new Moon, call it Pausha Amavasya. It is the same day.
Can Mauni Amavasya be observed at home?
Yes. A bath before sunrise, a short prayer, some time in silence and a simple act of giving are a complete observance for anyone who cannot reach a river or the Sangam.