Karthika Pournami: Deepams on the Godavari and What to Offer

Karthika Pournami is the full-moon night of Karthika Masam, and in the Godavari districts it is one of the most beautiful nights of the year. As evening falls, the river ghats fill with people floating small lamps on the water, and temples light rows of deepams.

What families do on the day

Many people bathe early in the river or at home before sunrise, visit a Shiva temple, and keep a fast until the evening. At dusk, lamps are lit at home, at the tulasi plant and at the temple. Some families light 365 wicks together, one for every day of the year, so that a single night's lamp counts for the whole year.

Floating a lamp on the Godavari, called deepa danam, is the moment most people remember. In Rajahmundry the ghats are crowded with families doing exactly that, and the river glows with hundreds of small flames.

Breaking the fast

After the evening puja, households usually eat a simple, light meal. Fried, heavy food is often kept aside for the day, and sweets are offered first as naivedyam before being shared.

Sweets that suit Karthika Pournami

Milk sweets and ghee sweets are the usual choice for naivedyam. Konaseema kova and kalakand are soft and sattvic. Boondi laddu is easy to share with visitors after the puja. If you are taking prasadam to relatives, a mixed sweet box covers everyone.

Planning ahead

Karthika Pournami is a busy evening, so order sweets a day or two early if you can. Ghee sweets like laddu keep for about 15 days in a cool, dry place; milk sweets like kova are best within a few days, so buy them closer to the day.

If you are following the whole month, our guide to Karthika Masam food covers what households eat through the holy month.