When Pitru Paksha begins falls

Dates are computed astronomically against Kashi sunrise.

The significance of Pitru Paksha begins

Historical background

Scriptural references

Pitru Paksha begins puja vidhi

1. 1Bathe and take the sankalpa for the shraddha, naming the ancestor and their gotra where known.
2. 2Perform tarpan: offer water mixed with black sesame to the pitrs, facing south, the direction of the ancestors.
3. 3Prepare satvik food including kheer and the dishes the departed were fond of, cooked with purity.
4. 4Invite and feed brahmins, offering them the food, cloth and dakshina, as representatives of the pitrs.
5. 5Set aside the pancha-bali — portions for the cow, crow, dog, ant and fire; the crow especially is held to carry the offering to the ancestors.
6. 6Offer pind daan where kept — balls of cooked rice or barley — with reverence and the ancestral prayers.
7. 7Complete the rite quietly, seeking the blessing of the pitrs for the family's continuity.

Vrat rules

• The observance is of shraddha and tarpan for the ancestors, not a fast for personal benefit.
• The one performing shraddha takes a satvik meal, avoiding onion, garlic and often certain grains, and eats only after the rites and the feeding of others.
• Tarpan — the offering of water with sesame — is made to the pitrs, ideally each day of the fortnight.
• Food is offered to brahmins, and a portion set aside for the cow, the crow, the dog and the fire (the pancha-bali).
• New and auspicious undertakings — purchases, weddings, housewarming — are traditionally deferred until the fortnight ends.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Doing the shraddha on the wrong day — it is done on the tithi of the ancestor's death, not on a fixed date; Sarva Pitru Amavasya covers the unknown.
• Beginning weddings, housewarmings or major purchases during the fortnight, which tradition sets aside for the ancestors.
• Neglecting the crow, cow and dog offering, held to be the ancestors' messengers.
• Treating it as inauspicious or fearful — it is an act of gratitude and repayment, not of dread.

The vrat katha of Pitru Paksha begins

Pitru Paksha begins timeline

1. Pratipada — the fortnight opens

   From the first tithi of Bhadrapada's dark half, daily tarpan of water and sesame is offered to the ancestors.

2. The ancestor's own tithi

   The full shraddha — pind-daan and the feeding of brahmins — is done on the tithi on which that ancestor passed away.

3. Feeding the messengers

   A portion is set out for the crow, the cow and the dog, held to carry the offering to the departed.

4. Sarva Pitru Amavasya

   The final new moon (Mahalaya) is for all ancestors together, and for any whose tithi is unknown or was missed.

Famous places & temples

Interesting facts

• ◆The shraddha for each ancestor is performed on the lunar tithi on which they died, so the exact day differs family to family.
• ◆A single pind-daan at Gaya is held to free the ancestors permanently, which is why the Gaya Shraddh is so sought.
• ◆The crow is treated as a messenger of the ancestors; food set out for it is believed to reach the departed.
• ◆In Bengal the fortnight closes at Mahalaya, whose dawn Chandi-path opens the countdown to Durga Puja.

Common questions