Pitru Paksha 2026 — Shradh Dates & Tithi Calendar
Pitru Paksha is the fortnight given to the ancestors — sixteen tithis from Bhadrapada Purnima to the Amavasya that closes it. Shradh is performed on the tithi on which a person died, not on the calendar anniversary, so the table below maps every tithi of the fortnight to its date. Each rite is placed on the day its tithi prevails at aparahna, the afternoon window the rite belongs to. Dates are computed with Swiss Ephemeris.
Pitru Paksha 2026
26 Sep – 10 October 2026
Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Mahalaya) · 10 October 2026
Next shradh day
Purnima Shraddha
Saturday, 26 September 2026
Shradh Tithi Calendar 2026
| Date | Day | Shradh |
|---|---|---|
| 26 September 2026 | Saturday | Purnima Shraddha For ancestors who departed on a Purnima. Opens the observance. |
| 27 September 2026 | Sunday | Pratipada Shraddha For ancestors who departed on Pratipada; also for maternal grandparents. |
| 28 September 2026 | Monday | Dwitiya Shraddha For ancestors who departed on Dwitiya. |
| 29 September 2026 | Tuesday | Tritiya Shraddha For ancestors who departed on Tritiya. |
| 30 September 2026 | Wednesday | Chaturthi Shraddha & Panchami Shraddha kshaya tithi For ancestors who departed on Chaturthi. For ancestors who departed on Panchami; also Kunwara Panchami, for those who died unmarried. |
| 1 October 2026 | Thursday | Shashthi Shraddha For ancestors who departed on Shashthi. |
| 2 October 2026 | Friday | Saptami Shraddha For ancestors who departed on Saptami. |
| 3 October 2026 | Saturday | Ashtami Shraddha For ancestors who departed on Ashtami. |
| 4 October 2026 | Sunday | Navami Shraddha Matru Navami — for departed mothers and all married women of the family. |
| 5 October 2026 | Monday | Dashami Shraddha For ancestors who departed on Dashami. |
| 6 October 2026 | Tuesday | Ekadashi Shraddha For ancestors who departed on Ekadashi; favoured for sannyasis. |
| 7 October 2026 | Wednesday | Dwadashi Shraddha For ancestors who departed on Dwadashi; also for those who took sannyasa. |
| 8 October 2026 | Thursday | Trayodashi Shraddha For ancestors who departed on Trayodashi; also Magha Shraddha for children. |
| 9 October 2026 | Friday | Chaturdashi Shraddha Ghata Chaturdashi — for those who died by accident, weapon or violence. |
| 10 October 2026 | Saturday | Sarva Pitru Amavasya Mahalaya. For all ancestors, and for anyone whose tithi of passing is unknown. |
A tithi marked kshaya never falls at aparahna on a day of its own, so its shradh is performed alongside the next — which is why the fortnight runs to 15 dates rather than sixteen.
How the shradh day is chosen
The rite follows the tithi of death, repeating each year within this fortnight. Someone who died on a Krishna Saptami has their shradh on the Saptami of Pitru Paksha, whichever Gregorian date that happens to land on. Where the tithi of passing is unknown, or where the family observes one rite for everyone, Sarva Pitru Amavasya on the closing day serves for all ancestors.
Three days carry their own assignment regardless of tithi of death: Matru Navami for departed mothers and the married women of the family, Ghata Chaturdashi for those who died by accident or violence, and Kunwara Panchami for those who died unmarried.
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Pitru Paksha 2026?
Pitru Paksha 2026 runs from 26 September 2026 to 10 October 2026. It opens with Purnima Shraddha and closes on Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Mahalaya) on 10 October 2026, the most important day of the fortnight.
Which day should I perform shradh for my parent?
Shradh is performed on the tithi (lunar day) on which the person died — not on the anniversary date of the Gregorian calendar. Find the tithi of their passing and look for it in the table above. If you do not know the tithi, perform the rite on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, which covers all ancestors.
What time of day is shradh performed?
The rite belongs to aparahna kaal — the fourth of the five parts of the day, roughly the early-to-mid afternoon. This is why the dates below are assigned by the tithi prevailing at aparahna rather than at sunrise, and why a shraddha date can differ from the tithi shown on a sunrise-based calendar.
Why do two shraddhas fall on the same date?
A tithi that begins and ends between two afternoons is never current at aparahna on any single day — it is kshaya, a lost tithi. Both rites are then performed on the same date. In 2026 this happens once, so the fortnight spans 15 calendar dates rather than sixteen.
What is Matru Navami?
The Navami of Pitru Paksha is reserved for departed mothers and for all married women of the family. It is widely observed even by those who perform no other shraddha in the fortnight.
Is Pitru Paksha inauspicious?
New undertakings — weddings, griha pravesh, vehicle or property purchase — are traditionally deferred until the fortnight closes. The period is not inauspicious in itself; it is given over to the ancestors, and Devi Paksha begins the morning after it ends.