2026 Magha Amavasya Significance, Date, Time, and Puja Vidhi

According to the Vedic calendar, Magha Amavasya fast is observed on the Amavasya date of Krishna Paksha of Magh month. This day is known as Mauni or Magha Amavasya. Taking a bath, donating, and worshiping on this special day gives special benefits and brings happiness and prosperity in life. The importance of this day has been explained in great detail in the scriptures.

2026 Magha Amavasya Date and Time

2026 Magha Amavasya on 18 January, 2026 Sunday

Amavasya Date Start – January 18, 2026 at 12:03 AM
Amavasya Date Ends – anuary 19, 2026 till 01:21 AM

Magha Amavasya Significance 

There is a special Significance of remaining silent on the day of Magha Amavasya. If it is not possible to remain silent then do not utter harsh words. In Vedic astrology, the Moon is said to be the factor of mind, and the Moon is not seen on Amavasya day, due to this the state of mind remains weak. There is a tradition to keep the mind under control by observing a fast of silence on this day. There is a tradition of worshiping both Lord Vishnu and Shiva on this day.

Magh Amavasya Puja Vidhi and Rituals

On the day of Amavasya, one should wake up in the morning during Brahma Muhurta, clean the house, and take a bath in the nearest river. Take a bath in the river and offer Arghya to Lord Surya and offer sesame seeds in the water.

After this, worship Lord Vishnu by lighting fresh fruits, flowers, incense, and ghee lamps. Ancestors are worshiped on Amavasya day. After the puja rituals are over, food should be provided to the poor and Brahmins. After this, break your fast by having food yourself.

Magha Amavasya Story 

Once upon a time, a Brahmin named Devaswami lived with his wife Dhanvati in the city of Kanchi Puri. They had seven sons and one daughter and the daughter’s name was Malti. All seven sons of the Brahmin were married and now he was worried about his daughter’s marriage. When a Brahmin showed his daughter’s horoscope to a Pandit for her marriage, he found Vedha Dosha in his horoscope. The Pandit said that by the time Saptapadi i.e. seven rounds are completed, the girl’s husband will die and she will become a widow. Then the Brahmin asked the Pandit the solution to remove the Vedha defect and he said that this defect can be removed only by worshiping Som. On being asked by the Brahmin, the Pandit told about Soma that there is a Sinhala island in the middle of the southern sea of India and there lives a washerman named Soma, who is a pious man.

Even Yamraj has to bow before the power of his Pativrata Dharma and its light spreads in all three worlds. By taking refuge in him, your daughter’s Vedha Dosha will be destroyed. To complete this task, following the advice of the Pandit, Devaswami’s youngest son reached the seashore with his sister to go to Sinhala Island. Worried about crossing the sea, he sat under a tree on the shore. A family of vultures lived on that tree and the vulture children were watching the two brothers and sisters from above. When the female vulture came to her children in the evening, the children did not eat food and asked their mother to help their sisters and brothers.

Then with his help, the brothers and sisters reached Soma’s place. Both of them would wake up early in the morning and do the work of sweeping and plastering Soma’s house. Seeing such cleanliness, Soma asked her daughters-in-law the reason for this and they said that she does this work. But Soma did not believe their words and to know the truth, he stayed awake one night and saw the brother and sister cleaning. When Soma talked to both of them, he came to know the whole story. The siblings requested Soma to accompany them, so she went with them. But while leaving, Soma told his daughters-in-law that if someone died behind him, they should keep his dead body safe and wait for his arrival.

Saying this, Soma went to Kanchipuri with both her brothers and sisters. Malti’s marriage ceremony was completed the next day, when at the time of Saptapadi her husband died. Soma immediately gave all her good deeds so far to Malati, as a result of which her husband came back to life and then Soma blessed her greatly and went back to her home. On the other hand, due to the fruits of virtue, Soma’s son, son-in-law, and husband died. While going back, Soma worshiped Lord Vishnu at the Peepal tree on the way and circumambulated the tree 108 times. Then as soon as Soma’s parikrama was completed, all the dead members of his family came alive. 

Wrapping Up

According to religious beliefs, there is a provision for making donations to ancestors on the day of Magha Amavasya. It is believed that there is a tradition of offering offerings to ancestors on this date. Those who want to donate on Amavasya Tithi can donate as per their wish after offering water to Sun God. If you want to know about Magha Amavasya, you can get more information by consulting an online astrologer consultation.