Pitru Paksha 2026: Dates, Shraddha Tithi Calendar, Tarpan and Complete Guide

Quick answer: Pitru Paksha 2026 runs from 26/27 September to 10 October, with Sarva Pitru (Mahalaya) Amavasya on Saturday, 10 October 2026. During this fortnight in Bhadrapada, families remember their ancestors through shraddha, tarpan and simple offerings, each performed on the tithi that matches the ancestor's day of passing.

Pitru Paksha is a quiet, tender time. For many families it is the one fortnight in the year set aside simply to remember those who have gone before us, to say their names again, and to offer water and a little food in gratitude. There is nothing to fear in it. It is an act of love and remembrance carried across generations.

This guide explains when Pitru Paksha 2026 falls, what it means, and how shraddha and tarpan are traditionally observed, in calm and practical terms. Wherever you are, and whatever your circumstances, there is a way to honour your ancestors this year.

• Festival: Pitru Paksha (Mahalaya Paksha / Shraddha Paksha)
• Year: 2026
• Begins: 26 / 27 September 2026 (both start dates are defensible)
• Ends: Saturday, 10 October 2026
• Sarva Pitru Amavasya: Saturday, 10 October 2026
• Month: Bhadrapada Krishna Paksha
• Followed by: Sharad Navaratri

What is Pitru Paksha?

Pitru Paksha, also called Mahalaya Paksha or Shraddha Paksha, is a sixteen-day period in the Krishna Paksha (waning fortnight) of the Bhadrapada month. During these days it is a long tradition to perform shraddha and tarpan for departed parents, grandparents and forebears. The word pitru means the ancestors, and the fortnight is understood as a time when their remembrance is especially near to the family.

The observance is rooted in gratitude. In Hindu thought we carry three debts, one of which is the pitru rina, the debt of love owed to those who gave us life and raised earlier generations. Shraddha is not a transaction and it is not something demanded of us. It is, in its simplest form, a way of saying thank you and of keeping a bond of affection alive after death.

When does Pitru Paksha 2026 begin and end?

Pitru Paksha 2026 falls in the last week of September and the first week and a half of October. The fortnight opens on the full-moon-adjacent Pratipada and closes on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, the new-moon day.

You will see the start given as either 26 September or 27 September 2026. Both are defensible: the Pratipada tithi straddles the two civil dates, and different panchangs choose the day on which the tithi prevails at the time relevant for shraddha. This is normal and neither is wrong. The closing day, Sarva Pitru Amavasya on Saturday, 10 October 2026, is settled. For your own family, follow the panchang your household or temple has always used.

Pitru Paksha 2026 shraddha tithi calendar

Each day of Pitru Paksha carries a tithi, and shraddha is offered on the tithi that matches the lunar day on which a person passed away. The table below lists the sixteen shraddha days for 2026 by date, weekday and tithi name. Clock times for the offering vary by city and panchang, so please confirm the day locally rather than relying on a fixed time; the important thing is matching the tithi.

Please treat this calendar as a guide. Because a tithi can begin and end at different clock times on different days, a local panchang or a family priest is the most reliable source for the exact day of a particular shraddha in your place and timezone.

How to find your ancestor's shraddha tithi

Shraddha is normally performed on the tithi (lunar day) on which the person passed away, not on the English calendar date. If you know that day, you can match it to the calendar above.

1. Recall or find out the tithi of passing, that is, the lunar day and paksha, rather than only the English date.
2. If you only know the English date, a panchang or priest can convert it to the tithi that applied that day.
3. Locate that tithi in the Pitru Paksha fortnight above and observe shraddha on that day.
4. If two family members share a tithi, both are remembered together on that day.
5. If the tithi is genuinely unknown, do not worry, the fortnight provides a gentle remedy, described below.

Tarpan and pind daan explained

Tarpan is the simple offering of water, often with sesame (til) and kusha grass, made while remembering the ancestors by name and gotra. It can be as plain as offering water with a sincere heart, and in many families it is done quietly at home each morning of the fortnight.

Pind daan is the offering of small rounds of cooked rice or barley flour, symbolising nourishment and continuity offered to the departed. Some families perform it at home with a priest; others travel to sacred places long associated with ancestral rites, such as Gaya, Kashi (Varanasi) or Prayagraj. Travelling is one honoured option among several, not a requirement. A rite performed with love at home is complete in itself.

Shraddha vidhi in outline

The exact procedure varies by region, community and family custom, and a priest will guide the details. In outline, a simple shraddha often includes these elements.

• A clean space, a bath, and a settled, unhurried frame of mind.
• Invocation and remembrance of the ancestors by name and gotra.
• Tarpan, the offering of water with til and kusha grass.
• Pind daan or a simple food offering, where the family observes it.
• Feeding others, a Brahmin, a guest, or anyone in need, and offering a share to a crow, a cow and a dog.
• A quiet prayer of gratitude and peace for the departed.

What is offered, and feeding crows, cows and dogs

The classic offerings are simple and inexpensive, water, sesame (til), kusha grass and cooked rice. Their value is in the intention, not the cost. Alongside the family rite, a share of the food is traditionally set aside for a crow, a cow, a dog and often ants and fire as well, a beautiful custom of remembering that our gratitude extends to all beings. The crow in particular is regarded in tradition as a welcome guest on these days, and many families feel comforted when one accepts the offering.

Who may perform shraddha?

This is a question many people carry with worry, so let us answer it plainly and without judgement. Traditionally, shraddha was often performed by a son, and in many families the eldest son or the karta of the household still takes the lead. But that is not the whole of the tradition, and it was never meant to shut anyone out.

Across regions and communities the range of accepted practice is genuinely wide. Grandsons, brothers, nephews and other relatives have long performed shraddha where a son was absent. And a growing number of families and priests today accept and welcome daughters and women performing shraddha and tarpan for their parents and elders, and many scriptural and living traditions support this. If you are a daughter wishing to honour your parents, you are not doing anything improper; you are remembering them with love. Where you are unsure, a sympathetic family priest can guide you within your own tradition.

If you do not know the tithi, cannot travel, or have no male relative

Please be at ease. The tradition itself has always made room for exactly these situations, because grief and distance and changed families are as old as the rites themselves.

• If you do not know the tithi of a particular ancestor, Sarva Pitru Amavasya (10 October 2026) is the day set aside precisely for this, when shraddha may be offered for all forebears together, known and unknown.
• If you cannot travel to Gaya, Kashi or any tirtha, tarpan and a simple offering at home are wholly valid and complete.
• If there is no son or male relative, a daughter, a grandchild, a spouse or another relative may perform the rite; where even that is not possible, a priest may perform it on the family's behalf.
• If you are unable to perform any ritual at all, daan (giving), feeding others, and remembering your ancestors with a quiet prayer are themselves honoured forms of shraddha.
• If you are estranged or your feelings are complicated, remembrance offered with whatever peace you can find is enough; the tradition does not require perfection.

What is traditionally avoided during Pitru Paksha

Some families choose to keep the fortnight simple and reflective, and by custom postpone new beginnings, large celebrations, weddings, housewarmings and major purchases until after Sarva Pitru Amavasya. This is a matter of custom and mood rather than any rule, and practice varies widely by family and region. Many people simply carry on their ordinary work and duties, keeping the fortnight in their hearts. There is no cause for anxiety either way; do what feels respectful within your own household.

The transition into Navaratri

Pitru Paksha closes on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, and the very next day the mood of the calendar turns. Sharad Navaratri begins, moving the family from remembrance of the ancestors to the joyful worship of the Devi. This closeness is meaningful: we honour those who came before us, and then step into the light of the festival season with their blessing and remembrance carried gently with us.

Related reading

• Pitru Paksha 2026 pillar guide
• Full Pitru Paksha 2026 tithi calendar
• When does Pitru Paksha 2026 begin?
• Sarva Pitru Amavasya 2026
• Can a daughter perform shraddha?
• Pitru Paksha for NRIs and families abroad
• The Bhadrapada month 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Pitru Paksha 2026 start and end?

Pitru Paksha 2026 runs from 26/27 September to 10 October 2026. You may see the start given as either 26 or 27 September, since the Pratipada tithi straddles both dates and both are defensible. It ends on Sarva Pitru (Mahalaya) Amavasya on Saturday, 10 October 2026.

Why do some panchangs say 26 September and others 27 September?

Because the Pratipada tithi begins and ends at different clock times across the two civil dates, and different panchangs choose the day on which the tithi prevails at the time relevant for shraddha. Neither is wrong. Follow the panchang your family or temple has always used.

How do I find my ancestor's shraddha tithi?

Shraddha is performed on the tithi (lunar day) of passing, not the English date. If you know the tithi, match it to the fortnight's calendar. If you only know the English date, a panchang or priest can convert it. If the tithi is unknown, Sarva Pitru Amavasya covers all ancestors together.

Can a daughter or a woman perform shraddha?

Yes. While shraddha was traditionally often performed by a son, a growing number of families and priests today accept and welcome daughters and women performing shraddha and tarpan for their parents and elders, and many traditions support this. A sympathetic family priest can guide you within your own custom.

What if I do not know the exact tithi of my ancestor?

This is very common and there is a gentle provision for it. Sarva Pitru Amavasya, on 10 October 2026, is the day set aside for offering shraddha to all forebears together, known and unknown. You can remember an ancestor whose tithi you do not know on that day with a clear heart.

I live abroad, should I follow the Indian date or my local date?

Both approaches are defensible. Many families abroad keep the Indian tithi as their anchor for continuity with home; others follow the panchang for their own timezone. There is no single right answer. Our guide for families overseas can help, and it is best to follow your family or local temple's practice.

What can I do if I cannot travel or cannot perform a full ritual?

A great deal, and all of it is honoured. Tarpan and a simple offering at home are complete in themselves. If you cannot perform a ritual at all, daan (giving), feeding others, and a quiet prayer of remembrance are themselves valid forms of shraddha. A priest may also perform the rite on the family's behalf.

What comes after Pitru Paksha 2026?

Pitru Paksha closes on Sarva Pitru Amavasya on 10 October 2026, and Sharad Navaratri begins the very next day. The calendar moves gently from remembrance of the ancestors into the joyful worship of the Devi, carrying their blessing and memory into the festival season.