Rishi Panchami 2027ऋषि पंचमी

When is Rishi Panchami?

Observed on Shukla Panchami, Bhadrapada month (day after Ganesh Chaturthi). Dates follow the Panchang for New Delhi and can differ by a day in other places — check the Panchang for your city.

What Rishi Panchami means

Rishi Panchami, the fifth day of the bright half of Bhadrapada — the day after Ganesh Chaturthi — honours the Saptarishis, the seven great sages: Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadvaja, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vasishtha, with Vasishtha's wife Arundhati. They are the seers through whom the Vedas came to the world, and the seven stars of the Great Bear bear their names.

Traditionally it is kept by women as a vrat of purification, especially for any lapse in the rules of purity observed in the past. The vrat includes a bath with apamarga twigs and a fast in which only uncultivated foods — grains not grown by ploughing — are eaten, in the spirit of the sages who lived in the forest.

Many families today understand the day above all as one of gratitude to the rishis and to all teachers — a fitting day for students to honour the knowledge they have received.

The story of Rishi Panchami

The vrat katha, told in several versions, speaks of a Brahmin couple in Vidarbha whose widowed daughter suffered terribly. Through his insight, the father learned that in a past life she had not observed the rules of purity of her household. On his advice she kept the Rishi Panchami vrat, honouring the seven sages, and was freed from her suffering.

The Saptarishis appear throughout the scriptures: Vasishtha as the guru of Rama's family, Vishvamitra as Rama's teacher and the seer of the Gayatri, Atri as the father of Dattatreya, Bharadvaja as the seer of many Rigvedic hymns, Gautama, Jamadagni the father of Parashurama, and Kashyapa the father of gods and beings.

Rishi Panchami puja vidhi, step by step

How Rishi Panchami is usually kept. Customs differ; follow your family tradition.

What you need

• Apamarga twigs (or a little earth) for the bath
• Kusha grass to make the seven sages and Arundhati, or a drawing of them
• Roli, sandal, akshat, flowers, a ghee diya and incense
• Uncultivated grain (sanwa / samak rice), fruit and curd

When to do the puja

In 2027 Rishi Panchami falls on Saturday, 4 September, the day after Ganesh Chaturthi. The puja is done at midday (madhyahna); check the Panchang for your city. See the Panchang for your city.

Steps

1. Bath. Bathe in a river or at home, scrubbing with apamarga twigs or earth as tradition describes.
2. Set up the sages. Draw or make the seven sages and Arundhati with kusha on a clean place.
3. Worship. Offer water, sandal, akshat and flowers, and recite the Saptarishi shloka.
4. Katha. Hear the Rishi Panchami story.
5. Food. Eat only uncultivated grain, fruit and curd for the day; give to teachers and the needy.

Offerings & food: Uncultivated grains (sanwa / samak rice), fruit, curd; no ploughed grain is eaten by those keeping the vrat

Mantras for Rishi Panchami

Rishi Panchami across India

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Nepal (as part of Teej)

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan

Women bathe in rivers with apamarga, worship the seven sages and keep the fast of uncultivated grain.

Maharashtra and Gujarat

Rishi Panchami follows Ganesh Chaturthi; women eat a special dish of vegetables grown without ploughing (rishichi bhaji in Maharashtra).

Nepal

Rishi Panchami closes the Teej festival; women bathe in rivers, especially at Pashupatinath on the Bagmati.

Prayers to recite

Do’s and don’ts

Frequently asked questions