Sarva Pitru Amavasya 2026: Date and Shradh

Sarva Pitru Amavasya 2026: date and Amavasya tithi timing

Sarva Pitru Amavasya is observed on Saturday, 10 October 2026. The Amavasya tithi itself, computed with the Swiss Ephemeris, runs from Friday 9 October, 9:36 pm IST to Saturday 10 October, 9:20 pm IST. Shradh is offered in the aparahna, the afternoon portion of the day: for New Delhi on 10 October that is roughly 1:17 pm to 3:36 pm IST (sunrise 6:19 am, sunset 5:56 pm). Because the tithi is still in force through that afternoon on the 10th, the observance falls on the 10th, not the 9th.

Readers in other cities and abroad: the tithi times are the same everywhere in IST, but your local aparahna depends on your sunrise and sunset, so shift the window accordingly.

Shradh muhurat on 10 October 2026: Kutup, Rohina and Aparahna

Shradh is done in the daytime muhurtas that follow noon. For New Delhi on Saturday 10 October 2026 (sunrise 6:19 AM, sunset 5:57 PM, the day divided into fifteen muhurtas):

The Amavasya tithi runs until 9:20 PM IST, so the whole window falls inside it. Other cities shift with their own sunrise and sunset.

Significance: why this Amavasya matters (Mahalaya, Pitru Moksha Amavasya)

This day is also called Mahalaya Amavasya and Pitru Moksha Amavasya. The fortnight of Pitru Paksha assigns each ancestor the tithi on which they passed; this last day is for everyone the calendar cannot place: an ancestor whose date is unknown, a shradh that was missed during the fortnight, a relative no one now remembers precisely, and those who died on an Amavasya. It is the one day on which a single act of shradh is held to reach all of them, which is why families who could not observe the fortnight still keep this day.

Shradh vidhi: the rituals, in order

1. Snan and sankalp: bathe, face south, and state the intention naming the ancestors (or "all ancestors" when names are unknown).
2. Tarpan: offer water mixed with black sesame, with the sacred thread over the right shoulder, three times for each generation, then for all departed.
3. Pind daan: offer pindas (balls of cooked rice with sesame, ghee and barley flour) on kusha grass, three for the paternal line and three for the maternal line where the family keeps that custom.
4. Panchabali: set aside a portion of the meal for the crow, the cow, the dog, the ants and the gods before anyone eats. The crow is treated as the messenger of the ancestors; its accepting the food is read as the offering being received.
5. Brahmin bhojan or annadaan: feed a priest or, where that is not possible, feed the hungry with the same food in the same spirit.
6. Daan: give in the name of the ancestors (see below). The family eats last, after these offerings.

Shradh samagri: what you need

Black sesame (til), kusha grass, water in a copper vessel, rice or barley flour and cooked rice for the pinds, milk, honey and ghee, white flowers, a lamp, and a simple satvik meal (often kheer and puri) set aside for crows, cows and dogs before the Brahmin or family meal. A photo of the ancestors and a clean white cloth complete the setting.

Dos and don'ts on Sarva Pitru Amavasya

• Do keep the meal simple and sattvik: no onion, garlic, meat or alcohol in the house that day.
• Do light a lamp facing south in the evening and remember the ancestors by name where names are known.
• Do offer with clean hands, kusha grass and black sesame; these three are the minimum a shradh needs.
• Don't begin anything new on this day: no purchases of property, gold or vehicles, no engagements, no housewarming. Muhurat work resumes with Navratri the next morning.
• Don't turn away anyone who asks for food at the door; on this day that guest is treated as an ancestor.
• Don't cut hair or nails, and avoid quarrels; the day is kept quiet.

What to donate

Daan on this day is given in the ancestors' name, so it should be something a person can use at once: cooked food or grain (annadaan is held to be the highest), black sesame, ghee, a cloth or blanket, an umbrella, footwear, and, for those who can, a cow's upkeep. Families in Bengal, Odisha and the south keep regional variants: the Mahalaya tarpan on the riverbank, the Pitru Paksha meal of the deceased's favourite dishes, and the lamp for the departed on the threshold. The principle is the same in every region: give first, eat last.

Frequently asked questions