Pitru Paksha 2026: Shraddh Dates for Every Tithi

For sixteen lunar days every year, families across India set aside time for their ancestors. Pitru Paksha — also called Shraddh or Mahalaya — is the dark fortnight of the lunar month Bhadrapada (amanta), when offerings of water, sesame and food are made to the pitrs, the three generations who came before us.

In 2026 it begins with Purnima shraddh on Saturday 26 September and ends with Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Saturday 10 October. Sharad Navratri starts the next morning.

Why the date follows the tithi, not the calendar

A family performs shraddh on the tithi on which the person died, not the English date. Someone who passed away on a Krishna Ashtami is remembered on the Ashtami of Pitru Paksha, whatever the calendar says.

The shraddh is performed in the aparahna — the fourth of five equal parts of the daytime, roughly early to mid-afternoon. So the date for each tithi is the day on which that tithi is running in the afternoon. That is why two panchangs can occasionally disagree by a day: the answer depends on where the tithi changes relative to the afternoon.

Shraddh dates 2026 (New Delhi)

Worked out from sunrise and sunset in New Delhi, with Lahiri ayanamsa. Other cities are usually the same; near a tithi boundary they can differ by a day.

Date	Day	Shraddh
26 Sep	Saturday	Purnima shraddh
27 Sep	Sunday	Pratipada
28 Sep	Monday	Dwitiya
29 Sep	Tuesday	Tritiya
30 Sep	Wednesday	Chaturthi and Panchami
1 Oct	Thursday	Shashthi
2 Oct	Friday	Saptami
3 Oct	Saturday	Ashtami
4 Oct	Sunday	Navami (Matri Navami)
5 Oct	Monday	Dashami
6 Oct	Tuesday	Ekadashi
7 Oct	Wednesday	Dwadashi
8 Oct	Thursday	Trayodashi
9 Oct	Friday	Chaturdashi
10 Oct	Saturday	Amavasya — Sarva Pitru Amavasya

On 30 September the Chaturthi ends at about 2:55 pm and Panchami begins, so both fall in that afternoon. Families who keep either tithi perform shraddh that day.

The afternoon window in Delhi this fortnight is roughly 1:20 pm to 3:45 pm.

Special days in the fortnight

Matri Navami (4 October) — traditionally for mothers and married women of the family who have passed away.
Chaturdashi (9 October) — kept for those who died an untimely death: by accident, violence or weapons. Others are not usually remembered on this day even if they died on a Chaturdashi; their shraddh moves to Amavasya.
Sarva Pitru Amavasya (10 October) — for anyone whose tithi is unknown or was missed. If you do one shraddh this year, this is the day.

What the ritual involves

Customs differ by region and family, and your family purohit's practice comes first. The common core:

Tarpan — offering water mixed with black sesame (til) and kusha grass, facing south, the direction of the pitrs.
Pind daan — rice balls with sesame, ghee and honey, offered with the names of the ancestors.
Brahmin bhojan or feeding the needy — a simple sattvic meal without onion or garlic.
Panch bali — a share of the food set aside for the cow, dog, crow, ants and guests. The crow is traditionally seen as a messenger to the pitrs.

Gaya, Varanasi, Haridwar and Prayagraj are the best-known places for pind daan, but a shraddh at home, done sincerely, is complete in itself.

What people usually avoid

During Pitru Paksha many families postpone new beginnings: weddings, griha pravesh, buying a car or jewellery, and starting a business. The fortnight is for remembrance, not celebration. Daily life, work and study continue as normal.

These are customs, not rules for everyone. Some communities do not observe them at all.

If you do not know the tithi

Most people today do not know the lunar tithi of a grandparent's death. There are two simple answers:

Perform the shraddh on Sarva Pitru Amavasya — it covers all ancestors.
If you know the English date of death, a panchang for that date shows the tithi. Our panchang works for any past date and city.

Common questions

Can daughters perform shraddh? Many families and many acharyas today accept it, especially when there is no son. The Garuda Purana and later texts mention daughters and wives performing shraddh in some circumstances. Follow your family's custom and your purohit's guidance.

Is it inauspicious to buy things during Pitru Paksha? It is traditionally avoided for major purchases. Groceries, medicine and everyday needs are not affected.

Why does Pitru Paksha move every year? Because it follows the lunar calendar. In 2025 it ran from 7 to 21 September; in 2026, because of the extra (Adhik) month of Jyeshtha, it falls later.

To see every Amavasya and Purnima of the coming months, open the vrat calendar.