Pausha Amavasya, December 2027 — Monday, 27 December 2027

About this day

Pausha Amavasya falls in the cold of winter, when gifts of blankets, sesame and jaggery are the customary charity. It is a day for tarpan, and Pausha is traditionally a month of Sun worship.

An Amavasya on a Monday is Somvati Amavasya. Married women circle a peepal tree, often 108 times, for their husbands’ wellbeing, and a river bath on this day is especially valued.

How Amavasya is kept

• Where a fast is kept, it is usually a simple one on Darsha Amavasya: a single sattvic meal, or fruit and milk.
• Tarpan — offering water with black sesame and kusha grass to the ancestors — is done late in the morning or around midday, and any family member may do it with sincerity.
• A bath in a river or at a tirtha is a strong tradition, especially on Mauni and Somvati Amavasya; at home, a bath with a little Ganga water carries the same intent.
• Feeding cows, crows, dogs and ants, and giving food, clothing or sesame to those in need, are common Amavasya customs.
• Lighting a lamp in the evening, under a peepal tree or at the household shrine, is widely practised.
• Many keep the day vegetarian and avoid alcohol as a mark of respect.
• If you are elderly, pregnant, diabetic or unwell, there is no need to fast — remembrance and charity are the heart of the day. Speak to a doctor if you are unsure.

Amavasya: the full guide and every date

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