Shraddha tithis: every day of Pitru Paksha and the special cases

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Shraddha by Tithi: How Families Match the Ritual to an Ancestor’s Lunar Date

The rule is that Shraddha follows the tithi, not the calendar date. The Hindu lunar month has thirty tithis, fifteen in the bright half (Shukla Paksha) and fifteen in the dark half (Krishna Paksha), with the same names in each half: Pratipada, Dwitiya, Tritiya and so on, ending with Purnima or Amavasya.

For Pitru Paksha, the half does not matter. Someone who died on Shukla Saptami and someone who died on Krishna Saptami are both honoured on the Saptami of Pitru Paksha.

To match an ancestor:

1. Find the tithi that was running at the time and place of death, using a Panchang or a date-conversion tool.
2. Locate that tithi in this year's Pitru Paksha calendar for your own city.
3. Apply any special rule your family follows (for example, Navami for mothers).

Families record these tithis and repeat them each year. The annual death-anniversary Shraddha, by contrast, follows the full lunar date including month and fortnight. See how the correct tithi is chosen.

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Pratipada Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Pratipada is the first tithi of the fortnight (in 2026, 16 September in India). Pratipada Shraddha, sometimes called Padwa Shraddha, is performed for ancestors who died on a Pratipada of either fortnight.

In many North Indian families, Pratipada is also the customary day for honouring the maternal grandparents (nana and nani), especially when the family has no other day set aside for them or when their tithis are unknown. This gives the maternal line a clear place at the very start of the fortnight.

Observance follows the general pattern: sankalpa, tarpan with sesame, pind daan where customary, a vegetarian meal, portions for animals, and daan.

Some families note that when Purnima Shraddha is performed the day before, Pratipada effectively begins the run of daily rites, and they perform a short tarpan each morning from this day through Amavasya. See simple daily tarpan and Shraddha for maternal ancestors.

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Dwitiya Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Dwitiya (the second tithi; 17 September 2026 in India) is observed for ancestors who died on a Dwitiya. In Hindi-speaking regions it is colloquially called Dooj Shraddha.

There is no widely shared special association for this day beyond its tithi, which makes it a good example of Pitru Paksha's basic principle: every ancestor has a day, regardless of prominence or circumstance.

A family observing Dwitiya Shraddha typically performs the rite around midday or early afternoon, following the general home sequence, and may also include tarpan for any other ancestors they wish to remember that day.

If Dwitiya shares a date with an adjacent tithi in your local Panchang, the Panchang's assignment for the afternoon decides which Shraddha is performed on which date. See how sunrise and aparahna affect timing.

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Tritiya Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Tritiya (the third tithi; 18 September 2026 in India, a Saturday) is observed for those who died on a Tritiya. It is sometimes called Teej Shraddha in North India.

Around the Tritiya to Panchami stretch of the fortnight, many Panchangs also mark Maha Bharani, the day when the moon is in Bharani nakshatra, which some traditions regard as especially powerful for Shraddha, sometimes compared with performing it at Gaya. Its date depends on nakshatra timing and varies year to year, so check your Panchang.

In the New Delhi 2026 reference, Tritiya falls on Tuesday, 29 September. Families balancing work or school can still adapt the gathering around the locally valid tithi and their family practice. See family storytelling ideas.

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Chaturthi Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Chaturthi (the fourth tithi; 19 September 2026 in India, a Sunday) is for ancestors who died on a Chaturthi of either fortnight. It is sometimes called Chauth Shraddha.

Chaturthi is usually associated with Ganesha in everyday worship, which sometimes causes confusion. During Pitru Paksha, Chaturthi functions purely as an ancestral tithi; the Ganesha association applies to the Chaturthi of the bright fortnight, especially Ganesh Chaturthi, which falls about two weeks before Pitru Paksha begins.

Observance follows the general pattern. In the New Delhi 2026 reference, Chaturthi and Panchami are both assigned to 30 September, so families should confirm the locally applicable afternoon/tithi assignment.

If you are unsure whether an ancestor died on Chaturthi or an adjacent tithi, many families perform the rite on the tithi they believe most likely and also include the ancestor on Sarva Pitru Amavasya.

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Panchami Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Panchami (the fifth tithi; 20 September 2026 in India) is for ancestors who died on a Panchami. In several North Indian traditions it is also known as Kunwara Panchami, the day on which Shraddha is offered for family members who died unmarried, whatever their tithi of death.

This association reflects a traditional concern that those who die without spouses or children may have no descendants to remember them. The family takes on that responsibility explicitly.

Families who follow this custom perform a Shraddha for an unmarried aunt, uncle, sibling or child on Panchami. Others honour such relatives on their actual tithi or on Sarva Pitru Amavasya. All three approaches are found.

The day can be a gentle occasion to remember relatives who are sometimes left out of family stories. Writing a short note about their life, and adding it to the family record, is one meaningful way to mark it. See writing a family ancestor record.

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Shashthi Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Shashthi (the sixth tithi; 21 September 2026 in India) is for ancestors who died on a Shashthi. It is sometimes called Chhath Shraddha in North India, though it is unrelated to the Chhath festival of Bihar, which falls in the month of Kartik.

Shashthi has no broadly shared special association in Pitru Paksha. Observance follows the general pattern: sankalpa naming the ancestor and gotra, tarpan with sesame, pind daan where customary, the Shraddha meal, animal portions and daan.

In the New Delhi 2026 reference, Shashthi falls on Thursday, 1 October. Families abroad should use their local tithi and can coordinate the practical schedule with their priest or family tradition. See balancing work and Shraddha.

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8 of 20

Saptami Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Saptami (the seventh tithi; 22 September 2026 in India) is for ancestors who died on a Saptami.

Pitru Paksha falls around the seasonal transition into autumn in the Northern Hemisphere. Some commentators connect that seasonal placement with ancestral symbolism, though this is interpretation rather than a rule tied to Saptami itself.

The rite follows the general sequence. Families with several ancestors in mid-fortnight often find that Saptami, Ashtami and Navami fall on consecutive weekdays and plan a simple tarpan for each with a single larger meal on the most convenient day, keeping each ancestor's tithi for the tarpan itself.

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9 of 20

Ashtami Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Ashtami (the eighth tithi; 23 September 2026 in India) is for ancestors who died on an Ashtami.

In Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and parts of Nepal, the Ashtami of this fortnight coincides with Jivitputrika (also called Jitiya), a rigorous fast kept by mothers for the long life and well-being of their children. The overlap means that in some households the day holds both ancestral remembrance and prayers for the next generation, a poignant pairing of the family's past and future.

Families who keep Jivitputrika and also have an ancestor's Shraddha on Ashtami usually follow elders' guidance on how to arrange the two observances, since the fasting mother may not be the person performing the Shraddha.

Otherwise, Ashtami Shraddha follows the general pattern.

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10 of 20

Navami Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Navami (the ninth tithi; 24 September 2026 in India) is one of the most widely observed days of the fortnight. Known as Matru Navami (mother's Navami) or Avidhava Navami, it is traditionally set aside for mothers and other women who died as married women, that is, before their husbands, whatever their tithi of death.

On this day many families honour their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother together. In some households the women of the family take an active role in preparing the meal and offerings, and married women guests (suhagins) may be invited and given gifts such as bangles, sindoor and a sari in the ancestor's memory.

Families also perform Navami Shraddha for anyone, man or woman, who died on a Navami.

Practice varies: some families honour all women ancestors on Navami regardless of marital status at death; others follow each woman's own tithi. Both are found. See Shraddha for mother, father and other ancestors.

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11 of 20

Dashami Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Dashami (the tenth tithi; 25 September 2026 in India, a Saturday) is for ancestors who died on a Dashami.

There is no broadly shared special association for Dashami in Pitru Paksha. In the New Delhi 2026 reference it falls on Monday, 5 October; practical scheduling should still follow the locally valid tithi.

In the New Delhi 2026 reference, Dashami is assigned to 5 October and Ekadashi to 6 October. Local tithi boundaries can still differ, so check a Panchang set to your city and, if necessary, ask your priest.

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12 of 20

Ekadashi Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Ekadashi (the eleventh tithi; 26 September 2026 in India) is for ancestors who died on an Ekadashi. It is also called Gyaras Shraddha in North India.

The Ekadashi of this fortnight is Indira Ekadashi. A well-known Puranic story tells of King Indrasena, who learned that his father was suffering in the realm of Yama and, on the advice of the sage Narada, observed this Ekadashi and offered its merit to his father, who was then released. The fast is therefore closely linked to the welfare of ancestors.

This creates a practical question: Ekadashi is a fasting day for many Vaishnava families, while Shraddha involves cooking and serving grain-based food. Families resolve it in different ways. Some perform the Shraddha with non-grain foods; some prepare food for guests and animals while the performer fasts; some follow priestly guidance to move the meal to Dwadashi. Ask your family priest which convention your tradition follows.

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Dwadashi Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Dwadashi (the twelfth tithi; 27 September 2026 in India) is for ancestors who died on a Dwadashi. In many traditions it is also known as Sannyasi Shraddha: the day for honouring those who took sannyasa, formal renunciation, regardless of their tithi of death.

The association reflects the special status of renunciants, who in classical understanding have already performed their own funeral rites on entering sannyasa. Their remembrance takes a distinct form in many traditions, and some families offer food to monks or a monastery on this day rather than a conventional Shraddha meal.

For families whose ancestor took sannyasa late in life, the day provides a clear place for remembrance. Dwadashi also follows Indira Ekadashi, so families who fasted on Ekadashi often break the fast on this day, sometimes with the Shraddha meal.

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Trayodashi Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Trayodashi (the thirteenth tithi) is for ancestors who died on a Trayodashi. In some traditions, notably in Gujarat, it is also the day for remembering children who died young, and there it has regional names such as Kakbali or Balabholani Teras.

In 2026, India-based Panchangs place Trayodashi and Chaturdashi on the same date, 28 September, because Trayodashi is short and Chaturdashi holds the afternoon. Families with an ancestor on Trayodashi should check their local Panchang and priest for how the day is assigned, as some calendars differ.

Remembering a child can be deeply painful, and families approach this day in very different ways. Some perform a short, quiet tarpan; some give food or books to children in need in the child's name; some simply light a lamp. All are meaningful. See simple non-ceremonial ways to honour ancestors.

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Chaturdashi Shraddha: General Meaning and Observance Guide

Chaturdashi (the fourteenth tithi; 28 September 2026 in India, shared with Trayodashi) has a distinctive rule. It is traditionally reserved for those who died suddenly or unnaturally, for example in accidents, by violence or in war, and is sometimes called Ghata or Ghayal Chaturdashi.

Two consequences follow. First, such ancestors are honoured on Chaturdashi regardless of their actual tithi of death. Second, ancestors who died a natural death on a Chaturdashi are traditionally honoured instead on Sarva Pitru Amavasya (some traditions use Trayodashi), keeping Chaturdashi for the special category.

The underlying belief is that those who died suddenly may not have received the usual final rites or completed their lives peacefully, and so benefit from dedicated remembrance.

For families who have lost someone this way, the day can bring grief to the surface. It is fine to keep the observance simple and to take care of those who are mourning. See remembering beyond formal rituals.

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Amavasya Shraddha: Meaning and General Observance Guide

Amavasya, the new moon, closes Pitru Paksha (29 September 2026 in India). Amavasya Shraddha has two roles:

• It is the tithi Shraddha for ancestors who died on an Amavasya, and in many traditions for those who died naturally on Chaturdashi.
• It is Sarva Pitru Amavasya, the day for all ancestors together. See the next section.

Beyond Pitru Paksha, many families offer a short tarpan on every Amavasya of the year, as the new moon is traditionally considered the ancestors' day each month. Some other Amavasyas carry special weight in particular regions, such as Aadi Amavasai in Tamil Nadu, Karkidaka Vavu in Kerala and Mauni Amavasya in North India.

On Pitru Paksha Amavasya, families commonly perform the fullest rite of the fortnight, feed guests and animals, give daan, and light a lamp at dusk facing south to bid the ancestors farewell. See Pitru Paksha vs Amavasya Shraddha.

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Sarva Pitru Amavasya: Why It Is Important in Pitru Paksha

Sarva Pitru Amavasya, "the new moon of all ancestors", is the culmination of the fortnight and for many families its most important day. Its significance comes from several roles at once:

• Inclusive. It covers every ancestor, including those whose tithi is unknown, those without descendants, and relatives and friends outside the direct line.
• Remedial. It is the traditional answer when an individual tithi was missed for any reason.
• Collective. Temples, rivers and pilgrimage sites see their largest gatherings on this day; in Gaya, Haridwar and on the ghats of Kolkata and Varanasi, crowds gather from before dawn.
• Transitional. It marks the ancestors' departure at the end of the fortnight and, the next morning, the beginning of Navratri.

Many families light a lamp at dusk, sometimes placed at the threshold or facing south, as a gesture of farewell. In Bengal and much of southern India the day is known as Mahalaya Amavasya. In 2026 it falls on Wednesday 29 September. See the 2026 guide.

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Shraddha for Mother, Father and Other Ancestors: How Family Practice Can Differ

Families organise the fortnight around their own losses, and patterns differ.

Father

Honoured on his tithi of death. In many traditions the father heads the three generations named in the rite (father, grandfather, great-grandfather).

Mother

Honoured on her own tithi, or on Matru Navami if she died before her husband, depending on family custom. Some families do both. In traditions that name the maternal generations separately, the mother heads that line.

When one parent is living

In many traditions, when the father is living, a son does not perform a full Pitru Paksha Shraddha for the grandparents; the father does. Customs about what a child does when the mother is living and the father has died, or vice versa, vary considerably, so ask your family priest.

Others

Siblings, uncles, aunts, in-laws and friends are commonly remembered on their tithis or on Sarva Pitru Amavasya.

Recent deaths

Special rules often apply in the first year after a death. See Shraddha for someone who died recently.

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Shraddha When the Exact Death Date Is Unknown

This is common, and the tradition handles it gracefully. The options, in rough order of preference:

1. Recover the tithi. If you know the Gregorian date and place of death, an online Panchang or a priest can identify the tithi. If only the date is known, the tithi at sunrise is a reasonable approximation.
2. Use Sarva Pitru Amavasya. If the date cannot be recovered, perform the Shraddha on Amavasya, the day designed for exactly this situation.
3. Apply a category rule. If you know the circumstances but not the date, a category tithi may apply: Navami for a mother who died as a married woman, Chaturdashi for a sudden death, Dwadashi for a sannyasi.

Some families also choose a date with personal meaning, such as a day the ancestor was especially remembered, for an additional informal observance. That is a matter of family preference rather than tradition.

Once you determine a tithi, record it for future generations. See what if you do not know the death tithi.

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Shraddha Tithi FAQ: Choosing the Right Day and Handling Special Cases

Does it matter whether my ancestor died in the bright or dark fortnight?

No. Only the tithi name matters for Pitru Paksha.

My ancestor died at night. Which tithi applies?

The tithi running at the moment of death. Tithis change at irregular clock times, so check a Panchang with times for that date and place.

Two tithis fall on the same date this year. What do I do?

Perform both Shraddhas on that date if both ancestors' tithis are assigned to it, or follow your priest's advice.

Can I choose a more convenient day?

Traditionally the tithi is preferred, with Sarva Pitru Amavasya as the fallback. Many priests accept a short tarpan on the tithi and a fuller rite on Amavasya or a weekend.

What about an ancestor who died on Purnima?

They are honoured on Purnima Shraddha at the start of the period (Saturday, 26 September 2026 in the New Delhi reference), or in some traditions on Amavasya.

What if I am travelling on the tithi?

A simple tarpan can be done anywhere. See simple tarpan.

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