Nāralī Pūrṇimā is the coconut full moon of the Konkan coast, kept on Śrāvaṇa Pūrṇimā. Through the monsoon the fishing boats rest, and on this day the fishing communities offer a coconut to the sea before the boats turn back to the water. The offering is made in gratitude to the sea and in prayer for a safe and plentiful season. Inland, the same full moon is often the day of Rakṣābandhana, but on the coast the day belongs to the coconut. How the day is fixed: The day is the one on which Śrāvaṇa Pūrṇimā stands at local sunrise. A full moon ends a month in both amānta and pūrṇimānta reckoning, so the month name is the same in both. Keep in mind: Pūrṇimā often begins on the previous day, and sunrise differs with place, so the day can shift by one. Rakṣābandhana can be fixed by other rules and does not always fall on the same civil day. This year: The 2027 date shown here is worked out from sunrise at the place you chose, so in another city the same day can fall a day earlier or later. A coconut for the sea: Fishing communities on the Konkan end the monsoon rest and offer a coconut to the sea. After the offering the boats go out to sea again. At home: Homes keep the Śrāvaṇa Pūrṇimā pūjā. Inland Maharashtrian families may keep both the coconut day and the rakhi on the same full moon. Worth remembering: Rakṣābandhana is a separate observance even when it falls on the same civil day. Nāralī Pūrṇimā is the coconut offering, not the tying of the rakhi. On the coast the day belongs to the fishing families and their village customs, while inland homes may give it only a simple pūjā beside the rakhi. How the coconut is offered and who leads the rite differ from place to place. Knowing the general rule is good, but the fullest observance is the one the elders of your own house have handed down.
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