Mauni Amavasya 2027
6 February 2027

Mauni Amavasya is the Amavasya of Magh’s krishna paksha, kept above all with a bath in a holy river at dawn and, for those who can, a day of mauna, keeping silent speech, from which popular tradition holds the day takes its name. In Prayagraj it falls among the most crowded bathing days of the Magh Mela, when pilgrims living in kalpavas on the riverbank make their way to the Sangam before sunrise.

The silence some keep through the day is held in tradition to turn the mind inward, away from the usual pull of speech, and is paired with a vrat of fruit or water for those who fast as well. Magh as a whole is considered an auspicious month for river bathing and daan, and this Amavasya, along with Mauni’s larger sister day Mauni Purnima later in the month, is counted among its most important dates.

• Ganga jal
• Til
• Fruit for the vrat
• Grain, blankets or money for daan
• Lota of water for arghya
• A diya, if the family keeps one lit in the evening

What to do

• Try the silence even for part of the day if a full day feels hard, since many people begin with a few hours of mauna and build up over the years.
• Reach the ghat or river well before sunrise if you plan the bath there, since the crowds at places like Prayagraj are heaviest at dawn on this day.
• If you are elderly or unwell, bathe with warm water at home rather than a cold river at dawn, and keep warm clothes ready afterwards.

What to avoid

• Avoid speaking out of habit during the hours you have set for mauna; keep a notepad or signs ready if you must communicate something urgent.
• Those fasting strictly should take care if they are pregnant, nursing or unwell, and it is wise to follow a doctor’s advice rather than keep a hard fast against health advice.

Mauni Amavasya is kept across North India and is at its most crowded in Prayagraj’s Magh Mela, where it is one of the principal bathing days alongside Makar Sankranti and Basant Panchami; many pilgrims in kalpavas there plan their month of riverside living around these dates.

An Amavasya is read at sunrise, so its date can move by a day between cities and countries when the tithi changes close to that hour, the same rule that moves any sunrise-based festival.