Pitru Paksha 2026: Shraddha Dates for Each Tithi

In case your family is preparing for its Shraddha in 2026, this blog can help you to tell the difference between the observance period and Pitru Paksha itself. The Purnima Shraddha falls on Saturday, 26 September 2026, and happens to be immediately followed by Krishna Paksha. Drik Panchang recognizes Bhadrapada Purnima Shraddha as a separate Parvan Shraddha which takes place before Pitru Paksha, while Mahalaya Shraddha is meant for an ancestor who died on tithi Purnima and performed on Amavasya.

Pitru Paksha takes place once a year and is meant for paying tribute to ancestors through Shraddha, Tarpan, Pind Daan, the offering of food, and charitable deeds. The observance is traditionally connected to Pitru Rina which is the debt to your ancestors and the fulfillment of which will allow you to receive their blessings. In most cases, families choose an observance date with the help of lunar death tithi of the ancestor, while there are certain cases in which special days can be chosen if death tithi is unknown, the ancestor was a renunciate or if the death was unnatural..

The Purnimanta calendar of North India refers to this time as Ashwin Krishna Paksha, while different South Indian Amanta calendars refer to it as the Bhadrapada Krishna Paksha. The name of the month differs, but the dates of Shraddha tithis based on local calculations remains unchanged. This calendar information is based on 2026 Delhi Panchang and some Hindu calendar sites. Still, double-checking the exact tithi spans and muhurta according to the current Panchang, temple or priest in one’s local area is a good practice.

Pitru Paksha 2026 tithi-wise Shraddha calendar for India (IST)

For India on Indian Standard Time (IST), the 2026 Shraddha sequence starts with Purnima Shraddha on Saturday, 26 September and then runs tithi by tithi through Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Saturday, 10 October. During Pitru Paksha, special nakshatra-based observances can fall alongside the regular tithis. In 2026, Maha Bharani Shraddha, linked to Bharani Nakshatra ruled by Yama, falls on Tuesday, 29 September in New Delhi, alongside Tritiya Shraddha. Bharani Nakshatra runs from 9:03 AM on 29 September to 7:36 AM on 30 September.

Magha Shraddha falls on Wednesday, 7 October 2026 alongside Dwadashi Shraddha in the Delhi reference calendar. Trayodashi Shraddha falls on Thursday, 8 October, and Chaturdashi Shraddha on Friday, 9 October. These dates are based on the prescribed tithi or nakshatra prevailing during Aparahna, so use a local Panchang or priest’s guidance outside Delhi.Check a Panchang or temple calendar set to the place where you will perform the rite, and confirm the date with the priest or temple before booking travel or services.

Pitru Paksha 2026 will be observed in India from 26 September to 10 October 2026, with local Panchang timings varying by city. The period begins with Purnima Shraddha on Saturday, 26 September, followed by Pratipada Shraddha on Sunday, 27 September, Dwitiya on Monday, 28 September, and Tritiya along with Maha Bharani Shraddha on Tuesday, 29 September. Chaturthi and Panchami Shraddha both fall on Wednesday, 30 September, followed by Shashthi on Thursday, 1 October, Saptami on Friday, 2 October, Ashtami on Saturday, 3 October, and Navami or Avidhava Navami (Matri Navami) on Sunday, 4 October. Dashami Shraddha falls on Monday, 5 October, Ekadashi on Tuesday, 6 October, and Dwadashi or Yati Dwadashi along with Magha Shraddha on Wednesday, 7 October. The final days include Trayodashi Shraddha on Thursday, 8 October, Chaturdashi or Ghata Chaturdashi on Friday, 9 October, and Sarva Pitru Amavasya, also known as Mahalaya Amavasya, on Saturday, 10 October 2026. Sarva Pitru Amavasya is traditionally considered especially significant for performing Shraddha for ancestors when their specific tithi is unknown, missed, or when families observe a consolidated ancestral ritual.

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Which ancestors are honoured on each Shraddha tithi

From Purnima through the last day of Pitru Paksha, the basic principle is straightforward: perform Shraddha on the lunar tithi that matches the ancestor’s death tithi. The table below summarises how that rule applies and where certain tithis or nakshatra-based observances are customarily associated with particular ancestors or circumstances.

Purnima Shraddha: Observed separately on Bhadrapada Purnima, immediately before Pitru Paksha, according to the family's Purnima Parvan tradition.

Ordinary Tithis: Shraddha is generally performed on the tithi that matches the ancestor's death tithi. These include Pratipada, Dwitiya, Tritiya, Chaturthi, Shashthi, Saptami, Ashtami, Dashami, Ekadashi and Trayodashi.

Panchami / Kunwara Panchami: In some communities, this day is given special importance for remembering unmarried men or women. It is also used for ancestors whose death tithi was Panchami.

Navami / Avidhava Navami / Matri Navami: Traditionally associated with married women who passed away while their husbands were still alive. It is also observed in remembrance of mothers and other married women in the maternal line.

Dwadashi / Yati Dwadashi: Traditionally associated with renunciates, sanyasis and yatis, and in some traditions, children. Practices can vary by family lineage.

Ghata Chaturdashi: Traditionally associated with ancestors who died through accidents, violence, weapons or other unnatural causes. Families should follow their priest's guidance on whether this is observed in addition to the normal death-tithi Shraddha.

Maha Bharani Shraddha: Observed when Bharani Nakshatra prevails during Pitru Paksha. It is considered an auspicious additional opportunity to honour ancestors and has a traditional association with Yama.

Magha Shraddha: A nakshatra-based observance associated with Magha Nakshatra. It is followed according to regional and family traditions as an additional way of honouring ancestors.

Sarva Pitru Amavasya / Mahalaya Amavasya: Dedicated collectively to all ancestors. It is especially significant when the ancestor's exact death tithi is unknown, a yearly Shraddha was missed, or the family wishes to perform a single observance for everyone together.

Shraddha, Tarpan and Pind Daan: Core Timing and Steps

The recommended Shraddha period begins with Kutup Muhurta, continues through Rohina Muhurta and extends through the following Aparahna Kaal. These consecutive local intervals are calculated from sunrise and sunset, so their start and end times change by date and city; approximate civil noon is not a reliable substitute.

For example, a family observing Purnima Shraddha in New Delhi on 26 September 2026 should use the Kutup, Rohina and Aparahna intervals given for New Delhi on that date in a current Panchang, and complete the main offerings within that span. The same clock times should not be copied to Mumbai, Chennai, London or Dubai, and they will also differ from the muhurta windows on other Shraddha days.

A priest will adjust the full procedure to your sampradaya, but many Pitru Paksha Shraddha rites follow a sequence like this.

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Prepare yourself and the ritual space

Bathe, wear clean and modest clothes, and set up a simple, clean space for the rite with a mat or asana, vessels for water, sesame, flowers and food offerings.

Make Sankalpa and invoke the deities and ancestors

Under guidance, state the Sankalpa, naming the tithi, place, gotra and ancestor(s) for whom Shraddha is being performed, then invoke the Vishwedevas and Pitrs through prescribed mantras.

Offer Pind Daan

Prepare pindas from cooked rice with sesame or barley and other prescribed ingredients, place them on kush grass or a plate as directed, and offer them to the ancestors with appropriate mantra and gesture.

Perform Tarpan with water and sesame

Offer water mixed with sesame through the hands or a spoon, usually facing south, reciting the ancestors’ names and gotra where known, or offering collectively when names are not remembered.

Offer food, dakshina and charity

Serve a simple sattvic meal to invited Brahmins or other appropriate recipients, along with dakshina, or arrange equivalent charity and feeding of those in need as your priest advises.

Conclude with prayers and visarjan

Recite closing prayers seeking acceptance of the offerings, then immerse or respectfully dispose of pindas, flowers and other ritual materials in the manner prescribed for your area.

Many families adapt this into a simpler home observance under local or remote guidance: Bathing, making a clear Sankalpa with names and gotra, performing Tarpan with water and sesame, preparing a home-cooked offering or full meal, and arranging suitable charity. Mantra selection, directions, who leads the rite, how many pindas to make and how to dispose of them are matters for your priest or family tradition; if a full Vedic Shraddha is not feasible every year, a smaller but focused remembrance is still treated as meaningful.

Regional and pilgrimage traditions during Pitru Paksha

Many families travel to established tirthas for Pind Daan and Tarpan during Pitru Paksha. Gaya is especially known for ancestral offerings at its ghats and temples, while Kashi (Varanasi) and Prayagraj are prominent for river-based Shraddha. Gokarna and Rameshwaram are important destinations in southern practice. If you plan a pilgrimage, choose the relevant death tithi from the calendar first; for collective rites, expect the greatest demand around Purnima Shraddha and Sarva Pitru Amavasya. Confirm local registration rules, priest arrangements and muhurta with the destination temple or pilgrimage authority before travelling.

In Bengal, Mahalaya on Sarva Pitru Amavasya is closely associated with ancestral Tarpan and the transition toward Devi Paksha. Maharashtra and Gujarat have household-specific Mahalaya Shraddha meals and offering customs. Across South India, the period may be described through terms such as Pitru Karma, and many Kerala families perform Bali according to local tradition. In Nepal, Gokarneshwar is a well-known place for ancestral observances.

These customs share the purpose of remembrance but do not impose one regional method on every family. Ingredients, who receives ritual food, the number and form of pindas, and whether rites occur beside water vary substantially. A pilgrimage ceremony can carry special family or regional significance, but it does not make a correctly performed home observance any less meaningful.

Planning Pitru Paksha 2026 for your family

Start by finding each ancestor’s lunar death tithi. If you have only a Gregorian death date, give the date, approximate time and place of death to a priest or Panchang specialist so the corresponding tithi can be calculated; simply reusing the same Gregorian date in 2026 will usually be wrong. When the time is uncertain or records are unavailable, Sarva Pitru Amavasya at the end of Pitru Paksha—10 October 2026 in the India reference calendar—is the usual planning option, subject to your family tradition.

Contact your priest well before late September, especially if you need a specific tithi, a pilgrimage booking or help obtaining ritual materials. Multiple ancestors with different tithis may be remembered on their respective days, while some households consolidate the observance on Sarva Pitru Amavasya. If Chaturdashi applies, obtain advice because it falls on Friday, 9 October 2026 and has special rules in many lineages for unnatural deaths; Trayodashi falls on Thursday, 8 October.

The eldest son commonly performs Shraddha in many lineages, but that is not an absolute rule across Hindu traditions. Another son, grandson, brother, nephew, daughter, widow or other relative may perform or sponsor the rite where the family’s sampradaya permits it. When no customary performer is available, ask a trusted priest how intention, representation and Sankalpa should be handled rather than abandoning the observance.

For families in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Gulf, Australia or elsewhere, use a Panchang calculated for the place where the rite will occur. Tithi boundaries are astronomical and can cross midnight differently from India, causing the local civil date to shift. If relatives in India and abroad are coordinating one remembrance, each household can follow its own valid local date unless the family priest directs a shared arrangement.

Practical do’s and don’ts during Pitru Paksha

Within Pitru Paksha, many families adjust daily life to keep the focus on remembrance and charity. Common practices centre on simple sattvic food, cleanliness and avoiding distractions on the Shraddha day.

Cook simple, sattvic vegetarian meals, especially on Shraddha days, often including items such as rice, dal, kheer and seasonal vegetables; many traditions avoid onion, garlic or very spicy food during this period.

Keep the home and ritual area clean, with a lamp or candle and photographs or written names of ancestors placed respectfully where Shraddha is performed.

Remember ancestors by name and gotra where possible while offering pindas, water and food, or make a collective remembrance when details are not known.

Offer food, dakshina or other useful charity to invited guests or those in need with courtesy and gratitude rather than as a transaction promising a particular material result.

On the avoidance side, many households postpone large celebrations such as weddings, housewarmings or major business launches until after Pitru Paksha, and some delay luxury purchases, haircuts, shaving or nail cutting. These patterns arise more from convention and regional practice than from a single uniform rulebook, so it helps to check what your elders and priests actually follow instead of assuming every restriction applies to you.

Necessary work, health care and essential travel remain acceptable. Pilgrimage travel during Pitru Paksha is itself treated as auspicious in many lineages. When modern responsibilities conflict with custom, prioritise the core acts of Shraddha, Tarpan, food offering and charity, and ask your priest how to adapt rather than turning the fortnight into a source of anxiety.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pitru Paksha 2026 and Shraddha

Can women perform Shraddha and Tarpan?

Many families traditionally give the responsibility to the eldest son or another male relative, but practice varies by sampradaya and region. Daughters, widows and other female relatives perform or sponsor ancestral rites in a number of traditions, especially when no customary male performer is available. Confirm the appropriate Sankalpa and method with a priest familiar with your lineage.

What should I do if I know only the Gregorian death date?

Ask a priest or Panchang specialist to calculate the lunar tithi from the date, time and place of death. The annual Shraddha follows that tithi rather than the same Gregorian date. If the time is unknown and the tithi cannot be determined reliably, Sarva Pitru Amavasya is the commonly used alternative, adjusted to the correct date for your city.

What if the correct Shraddha tithi is missed in 2026?

A missed rite can usually be included on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, Saturday, 10 October 2026 in the India reference calendar. If that date also passes, do not assume that nothing can be done; a priest can advise an appropriate later observance based on your family tradition and local calendar.

Is one Shraddha on Sarva Pitru Amavasya enough?

Sarva Pitru Amavasya is intended for collective remembrance and is particularly useful when individual tithis are unknown or the family can manage only one ceremony. Families that regularly observe known death tithis may continue to prefer those individual dates, so treat Amavasya as a respected collective option rather than a universal replacement.

Must Shraddha be performed at Gaya or another pilgrimage place?

No. Gaya, Kashi, Prayagraj, Gokarna and Rameshwaram have special pilgrimage traditions, but many families perform valid ancestral rites at home, at a local temple or beside an appropriate local water body under guidance. Choose a pilgrimage when it fits your parampara, purpose, budget and travel capacity, not because a home observance is automatically inadequate.