Women's purification vrat. Worship of Sapta Rishis (Seven Sages).
Rishi Panchami, which comes the day after Ganesh Chaturthi, is a day of gratitude to the Sapta Rishi, the seven great sages who gave the world its knowledge, dharma and way of life: Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadvaja, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vasishtha. The vrat is one of thanksgiving and purification, a way of bowing to the wisdom that has been passed down through the ages.
Many women keep this vrat to seek purity and to atone, with humility, for any unknowing fault. Devotees bathe, worship the seven sages, listen to their stories, and eat only simple sattvik food, often grown without the plough. More than any single ritual, Rishi Panchami is a quiet reminder to live with cleanliness, discipline and respect for the great teachers of the past.
Rishi Panchami 2026 is on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, the day after Ganesh Chaturthi.
The Sapta Rishi are the seven great sages: Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadvaja, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vasishtha, honoured for the knowledge and dharma they gave the world.