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Pitru Paksha 2026

Saturday, 26 September – Saturday, 10 October 2026

From Bhadrapada Purnima to Ashwin Amavasya (Sarva Pitru Amavasya)

On now · 3 days left
Pitru Paksha tarpan at dawn: hands wearing a kusha ring release water with sesame seeds into a river, with a lota and pindas on the step
Image: made with AI

Today’s shraddh

Dwadashi Shraddha

Magha Shraddha

Kutup Muhurat
11:45 AM–12:32 PM
Rohina Muhurat
12:32 PM–1:19 PM
Aparahna Kaal
1:19 PM–3:40 PM

In Indian Standard Time, from the chosen city’s sunrise and sunset. Differences of 1–2 minutes between panchangs are normal. How we calculate

In short

Pitru Paksha 2026 runs from 26 September (Purnima Shraddha) to 10 October (Sarva Pitru Amavasya). On each of these 15 days, shraddh and tarpan are performed for ancestors who passed away on that tithi. Shraddh is considered auspicious in the Kutup or Rohina Muhurat, or in the Aparahna Kaal; see the time for your city below.

Edited by the SanatanBodh editorial teamLast updated: 4 sourcesDrafted with AI, checked against sourcesReport a mistake

What are shraddh and tarpan

Shraddh means the reverent remembrance of one’s departed ancestors (pitrs) and the giving done in their name; tarpan, offering water and sesame to them, is a part of it. Texts such as the Garuda Purana and Manusmriti (Chapter 3) describe this as a duty owed to one’s ancestors. The 15 days of Pitru Paksha are set aside specially for it.

By tradition it is accompanied by feeding brahmins, cows and crows, and pind daan; the exact rite varies by family and region. For the details of the rite, it is best to ask your family’s own purohit.

Pitru Paksha 2026: every day’s shraddh

Perform the shraddh on the civil day when the ancestor’s tithi of death is prevailing in the Aparahna Kaal. Find the tithi from the date of death

DateWeekdayShraddh tithiSpecial
26 SeptemberSaturdayPurnima Shraddha—
27 SeptemberSundayPratipada Shraddha—
28 SeptemberMondayDwitiya Shraddha—
29 SeptemberTuesdayTritiya ShraddhaMaha Bharani (Bharani Shraddha)
30 SeptemberWednesdayChaturthi–Panchami Shraddha—
1 OctoberThursdayShashthi Shraddha—
2 OctoberFridaySaptami Shraddha—
3 OctoberSaturdayAshtami Shraddha—
4 OctoberSundayNavami ShraddhaMatru Navami
5 OctoberMondayDashami Shraddha—
6 OctoberTuesdayEkadashi Shraddha—
7 OctoberWednesdayDwadashi ShraddhaMagha Shraddha
8 OctoberThursdayTrayodashi Shraddha—
9 OctoberFridayChaturdashi ShraddhaGhaat Chaturdashi
10 OctoberSaturdaySarva Pitru AmavasyaSarva Pitru Amavasya (Mahalaya)

The special days of Pitru Paksha

Maha Bharani (Bharani Shraddha) · 29 September

The shraddh on the day Bharani Nakshatra falls during the fortnight is called Maha Bharani, and by tradition is held to matter even more than the shraddh of other tithis.

Tradition; Drik Panchang

Matru Navami · 4 October

The Navami tithi’s shraddh is set aside especially for the family’s mothers and women who predeceased their husbands.

Dharmasindhu; tradition

Ghaat Chaturdashi · 9 October

By tradition, the Chaturdashi tithi’s shraddh is for ancestors who died an untimely or violent death, such as by accident or weapon.

Tradition; Drik Panchang

Sarva Pitru Amavasya · 10 October

The last day of Pitru Paksha. The shraddh of all ancestors whose tithi of death is not known, or whose shraddh was missed on its own day, is performed on this day.

Amavasya October 2026: Kutup Muhurat in 16 citiesGaruda Purana; Dharmasindhu

Matters around shraddh and grief carry a family’s own customs and feelings. For the exact rite, the words of the sankalpa and how much to give, it is best to ask your family’s own purohit.

Frequently asked questions

When is Pitru Paksha 2026?

From Saturday, 26 September (Purnima Shraddha) to Saturday, 10 October (Sarva Pitru Amavasya).

On which day should a tithi’s shraddh be performed?

The shraddh is done on the tithi (not the calendar date) on which the ancestor passed away — whichever civil day that tithi is prevailing in the Aparahna Kaal.

What is the difference between Kutup, Rohina Muhurat and Aparahna Kaal?

Dividing the day (sunrise to sunset) into 15 muhurtas, the 8th is Kutup and the 9th is Rohina Muhurat; dividing the day into 5 parts, the 4th is Aparahna Kaal. Shraddh in any of the three is considered auspicious.

If the exact tithi of death is not known, when should shraddh be done?

By tradition, shraddh is then performed on Sarva Pitru Amavasya (10 October this year), the day set aside for all ancestors together.

What are Bharani Shraddha and Matru Navami?

Bharani Shraddha (29 September) falls on the day Bharani Nakshatra prevails during the fortnight; Matru Navami (4 October) is set aside for mothers and married women who predeceased their husbands, as commonly noted in panchangs and Dharmasindhu.

Sources

  1. Drik Panchang: Pitru Paksha Shraddha Dates 2026, New Delhi (drikpanchang.com)
  2. Garuda Purana (Preta Kalpa) and Manusmriti, Chapter 3 — rites for ancestors and shraddh
  3. Dharmasindhu and Nirnayasindhu — the rules for Kutup, Rohina Muhurat and Aparahna Kaal; the tradition of Bharani and Matru Navami
  4. Muhurat: SanatanBodh panchang calculation, matched against Drik Panchang (New Delhi, 2026)

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