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AUTUMN FULL MOON · RAAS · KRISHNASharad Purnima
The full moon of Krishna's dance — Sharad Purnima, the luminous autumn full moon associated with Krishna's raas-leela, is celebrated at Dwarka with devotion, song and the cool moonlit beauty of the sacred coast.
The luminous autumn full moon
Sharad Purnima — the full moon of the autumn month of Ashvin (September–October) — is among the most poetic of Hindu festivals, and at Dwarka it carries the special resonance of Krishna’s own city. The night is sacred above all for its association with Krishna’s raas-leela — the divine circular dance he is said to have performed with the gopis on just such a luminous full-moon night, the supreme expression of divine love and devotion. It is believed the moon shines at its brightest and most nectar-filled on this night, and a beautiful custom is to place kheer (rice pudding) under the moonlight to absorb its blessing before sharing it. At Dwarka and its temples, the night is marked with special worship, devotional song and the celebration of Krishna’s love, the cool moonlight falling on the sea-girt holy city. Sharad Purnima also marks the gentle turn from monsoon to the clear, cool season — a night of beauty, devotion and the romance of Krishna-bhakti. For the visitor, Sharad Purnima at Dwarka offers a serene, luminous festival of devotion — best experienced on the full-moon night at the temple and the moonlit coast. (The autumn full-moon festival of Sharad Purnima at Dwarka; linked to Krishna’s raas-leela; devotion and moonlit custom.)
The night’s customs are gentle ones. Households set bowls of kheer — milk, rice and sugar — on rooftops and windowsills to stand in the moonlight, to be eaten at dawn carrying the amrit the moon is believed to shed on this one night; temples dress Krishna in white and sing the raas sections of the tradition through the evening; and raas and garba circles form in courtyards, the dance’s origin story honoured in its home state. At Dwarka the Dwarkadhish temple’s evening darshan and the moonlit Gomti ghats give the festival its fullest setting — the sea silver to the horizon, the temple flag black against the light.
For travellers the night is an atmosphere rather than an event: no tickets, no crowds to battle, just the ghats and rooftops an hour after moonrise. The date falls on Ashvin’s Purnima, usually October; Surat, by contrast, spends the following night eating ghari on Chandni Padva — Gujarat’s two moods of the same moon.
Dwarka by moonlight. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
The full moon of divine love
Dwarka moonlight. Wikimedia Commons.
Ashvin's full moon closes the monsoon with the year's clearest sky.
Tradition sets Krishna's raas-leela on just such a night.
The moon is held to rain amrit — nectar — through this night.
Dwarka keeps the night with raas, song and moonlit vigil.
Why come
Full moon
The year's brightest moon rises over Krishna's own coast.
Raas-leela
The raas circles remember the dance of divine love.
Moonlit kheer
Kheer rests under the moon to gather its nectar.
Devotion
Devotion here reads the night as Krishna's love song.
Sea & moon
Temple, ghats and sea all silver under the light.
Season's turn
The season turns from monsoon toward the cool.
What to see
THE NIGHTSharad Purnima
The bright full moon of the raas.
THE CITYDwarka
Krishna's seat.
How it's celebrated
Witness the full moon
At its brightest.
Recall the raas-leela
Krishna's dance.
Share moonlit kheer
A lovely custom.
Join the worship
Devotional song.
Walk the moonlit coast
Sea & sky.
Feel the season turn
Monsoon to cool.
Dwarka moonlight. Wikimedia Commons.
An autumn full-moon festival
Sharad Purnima, the autumn full moon of Ashvin, is sacred above all for its link to Krishna’s raas-leela — the divine circular dance with the gopis on a luminous full-moon night. The moon is believed brightest and most nectar-filled now; kheer is placed under it to absorb its blessing. At Dwarka, Krishna’s city, the night is marked with worship and song, the moonlight on the sea-girt holy town. (The autumn full-moon festival of Sharad Purnima at Dwarka; linked to Krishna’s raas-leela; devotion and moonlit custom.)
Our Devbhumi Dwarka travel guide maps out the other places worth your time here.
The luminous autumn full moon (Ashvin)
Linked to Krishna’s divine raas-leela dance
The custom of moonlit kheer (rice pudding)
Devotion and song at Krishna’s city of Dwarka
Timing
The full-moon night.
Clear and cool.
Pleasant pilgrimage.
⏰ On the Ashvin full moon (Sep–Oct); experienced on the full-moon night.
Getting there
By Air
Jamnagar (~130 km).
By Rail
Dwarka station.
By Road
On the coastal NH.
More in Devbhumi Dwarka
AUGUST
Krishna Janmashtami
Dwarka’s biggest festival — the whole town celebrates Krishna’s birth. Explore →
DAILY
Flag & Aarti
The flag that flies for Krishna — at Dwarkadhish, the great temple flag (dhwaja) is ceremonially changed several times each day, a unique, moving ritual that, with the aartis, is the heartbeat of the temple. Explore →
COAST
Fishing Life
Life by the Arabian Sea — beyond the temples, the Dwarka–Okha coast is a world of fishing harbours, boats and the hardy fisherfolk whose sea-bound culture shapes the everyday life of the coast. Explore →
What to eat
THALIGujarati Thali
Pure-veg temple food.
PRASADTemple Prasad
At Dwarkadhish.
SEAFOODCoastal catch
On the fishing coast.
CHAASChaas
Spiced buttermilk.
Sharad Purnima FAQ
What is Sharad Purnima?
The autumn full-moon festival, linked to Krishna's raas-leela.
When is it?
On the full moon of Ashvin (September–October).
Why is the moon special?
It is believed brightest and most nectar-filled this night.
What is the kheer custom?
Kheer is placed under the moonlight to absorb its blessing.
Why at Dwarka?
It is Krishna's city, giving the night special resonance.
How is it observed?
With worship, devotional song and the moonlit coast.
Across Gujarat
ANCIENT TANKSahastralinga Talav
A vast Solanki-era reservoir of a thousand shrines
ISLANDPirotan Island
Coral reefs & mangroves in the Gulf
BEACHPorbandar Beach
The city’s breezy seafront & Chowpaty
FORESTDevgadh Baria
Old princely forests and a hill palace
Songadh Temples
Old shrines below the hill fort
Khodiyar Rajpara
One of the most thronged shrines of Khodiyar Mata near Bhavnagar — the Rajpara temple of…
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026