What should we do — and avoid — in Puruṣottama (Adhika) Māsa?

avoid new beginnings like weddings, gṛha-praveśa and mundan; fill the month with japa, scripture, dāna and Viṣṇu worship.

Because the extra month has no saṅkrānti of its own, it was once called mala-māsa, an “impure” month unfit for ceremonies. Tradition says Viṣṇu took it under his protection and gave it his own name, Puruṣottama, so it became a month for devotion rather than worldly beginnings.

Usually avoided: weddings, engagement, sacred thread, mundan, gṛha-praveśa, starting a new business, buying major property, and first-time kāmya vratas. Routine life, medical treatment and already-running work continue normally, and regular śrāddha and tithi observances are still done.

Commonly done: reading the Bhāgavata or Gītā, the Puruṣottama Māsa kathā, Viṣṇu Sahasranāma, lighting a lamp daily, an early bath, one-meal days, and dāna. A well-known custom is giving 33 malpuās or other sweets in dāna, often in a bell-metal bowl, a number usually linked to the 33 devas.

Custom: dāna of 33 malpuās · Source: Puruṣottama Māsa Māhātmya (attributed to the Bṛhannāradīya Purāṇa)

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