Bhadrapada Purnima to Ashwin Amavasya
Pitru Paksha
Also known as Shraddha · Mahalaya Paksha
Pitru Paksha is the dark fortnight set aside to honour and offer to one’s ancestors (pitru). It begins after the Bhadrapada full moon and runs to the Ashwin new moon, when the departed are believed to draw near.
2026
Saturday, 26 September 2026
2027
Wednesday, 15 September 2027
The day at a glance
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Significance
Performing shraddha and tarpana during this fortnight is held to nourish and free the ancestors, settling one’s debt to the generations before. Each day corresponds to the tithi on which a forebear passed.
How Pitru Paksha is observed
Families perform shraddha rites, offer pinda (rice balls) and water (tarpana), and feed brahmins, the poor, and crows (seen as messengers of the ancestors). New ventures are usually deferred until it ends.
FAQ
What is Pitru Paksha for?
It is the fortnight for shraddha: rites that honour and offer sustenance to one’s departed ancestors.
Why are new beginnings avoided then?
It is a period of remembrance and mourning rather than celebration, so auspicious starts are usually held until it ends.
Which day does one perform shraddha?
On the tithi matching the day a forebear passed; if unknown, on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, the final day.
Around the same season
Plan around Pitru Paksha
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