Pitru Paksha is a fortnight set aside for remembering and honouring one's ancestors (pitrs) through Shraddha, tarpan (offering of water with sesame) and acts of charity. It is a time of gratitude and continuity, when families recall those who came before them.
When is Pitru Paksha?
Pitru Paksha is the Krishna paksha that follows Bhadrapada Purnima. In the Amanta calendar this fortnight belongs to Bhadrapada; in the Purnimanta calendar the same days are counted as Ashwin Krishna paksha. The dates are identical; only the month name differs (see Amanta and Purnimanta).
It is preceded by Purnima Shraddha on Bhadrapada Purnima, for ancestors who passed away on a Purnima, and it concludes on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, also called Mahalaya Amavasya.
Which day is the Shraddha?
Shraddha for a person is traditionally performed on the tithi (not the calendar date) on which they passed away. The deciding factor is Aparahna vyapti: the Shraddha is held on the day when that tithi prevails during Aparahna, the fourth of the five equal parts of the daytime. If the tithi touches Aparahna on two days, the day with the larger overlap is chosen.
A few days of the fortnight have special associations:
- Avidhava Navami (Navami): traditionally for women who passed away while their husbands were living.
- Ghata Chaturdashi (Chaturdashi): traditionally reserved for those who died through accidents, weapons or other unnatural causes.
- Sarva Pitru Amavasya: for all ancestors together, and for anyone whose death tithi is not known.
Preferred times of day
Within the chosen day, three windows are traditionally preferred for the rites:
- Kutup Muhurat: the 8th of the 15 muhurtas of the daytime, around midday.
- Rohina Muhurat: the 9th daytime muhurta, immediately after Kutup.
- Aparahna Kaal: the fourth of the five parts of the day, the afternoon span in which the rites are traditionally completed.
Customs differ across regions and families: some perform elaborate pinda daan, others a simple tarpan or a meal offered in the ancestors' memory. Traditions may vary by region and Panchang convention, and a family priest can guide the specific practice.
On this platform
Each Shraddha tithi is calculated for your city using local sunrise and sunset, with Kutup, Rohina and Aparahna windows shown for the day. See the full fortnight on the Shraddha page.