FestivalVaishakha Purnima

Buddha Purnima 2027

बुद्ध पूर्णिमा

Buddha Purnima, the Vaishakha full moon, remembers the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing; Hindus also keep it as Vaishakha Purnima with baths and charity.

Next: Thursday, 20 May 2027

Quick answer

Buddha Purnima 2027 falls on Thursday, 20 May 2027 (Vaishakha Purnima). In 2026 it fell on Friday, 1 May 2026.

Dates follow the Delhi panchang and can shift by a day in your region, so confirm the muhurat with a local panchang.

Buddha Purnima 2027 falls on Thursday, 20 May, the full moon of Vaishakha. It is the holiest day of the Buddhist year, remembered as the day of the Buddha’s birth, his enlightenment under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya and his final passing (parinirvana). In the Hindu tradition the same full moon is Vaishakha Purnima, a day for holy baths, charity and the Satyanarayan katha, and many Hindus honour the Buddha, whom several Puranas count among the avatars of Vishnu.

Buddha Purnima 2027 date

Buddha Purnima 2027 is on Thursday, 20 May 2027 (Vaishakha Purnima). In 2026 it fell on Friday, 1 May. The Purnima tithi can begin the evening before; check a local panchang for the bathing time.

Why Buddha Purnima is celebrated

Siddhartha Gautama was born a prince at Lumbini, in present-day Nepal. Moved by the sight of old age, sickness and death, he left his palace to seek an end to suffering, and after years of practice he attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, becoming the Buddha, “the awakened one”. He taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path for the rest of his life and passed away at Kushinagar. Buddhist tradition holds that all three events took place on the Vaishakha full moon.

In Hindu texts such as the Bhagavata Purana, the Buddha is named as an avatar of Vishnu, and the Dashavatara lists of many regions include him, though some traditions place Balarama in that position instead. This is a Puranic view held alongside, not in place of, the Buddhist understanding of the Buddha.

How Buddha Purnima is observed

Buddhist practice: visits to viharas, meditation, chanting of sutras, offerings of flowers and lamps, and acts of kindness such as freeing caged birds.
Bodh Gaya and Sarnath: large gatherings at the Mahabodhi temple and where the Buddha gave his first sermon.
Vaishakha Purnima: Hindu families take a holy bath, give water, fans and food in charity, and read the Satyanarayan katha.

The meaning of the day

Buddha Purnima honours compassion and clear seeing. Whether kept as the Buddha’s day or as Vaishakha Purnima, it asks for kindness, non-harm and a calm mind. See all festivals on the Hindu festival calendar.