Pitru Paksha

Categories:: Religious
Tags:: Hindu Indian Holidays
Where:: India
Date change rule:: Falls on the 2nd fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada (September–October)
Holiday emoji:: 🙏

Pitru Paksha is a 16-lunar-day period when Hindus honor their ancestors, offering prayers, food, and water to departed souls. This sacred time, starting on September 26, is dedicated to repaying a spiritual debt to ensure ancestral peace and personal happiness. Participate in rituals, reflect on your heritage, and connect with your family’s past.

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Expected Pitru Paksha Deals

During Pitru Paksha, the focus shifts from commercial deals to spiritual and community offerings. Temples and community centers often organize special ‘Shraddh’ ceremonies and ‘tarpan’ rituals for devotees to participate in. Local Indian grocery stores may see increased demand for specific ingredients used in traditional offerings, such as sesame seeds, rice, and specific herbs. Families might also purchase new clothes for rituals or donate to charities in the name of their ancestors. We will update this page with any community-organized events or special offerings as September 26 approaches, encouraging spiritual engagement rather than retail promotions.

Platform Guide for Pitru Paksha

Facebook

Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #PitruPaksha. Share family traditions or photos of ancestral altars.

Instagram

Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #PitruPaksha. Post respectful images of offerings or family gatherings.

YouTube

Subscribe to @NationalToday for holiday video content. Create short videos explaining rituals or sharing personal stories.

Pitru Paksha Hero

Lord Yama

In Hindu mythology, Lord Yama is the god of death and justice, presiding over the 'Pitru Lok' (the realm of ancestors). During Pitru Paksha, it is believed that ancestral souls visit their descendants on Earth, and offerings made are received by Yama, who then ensures their passage to higher realms. His role underscores the spiritual significance of the rites performed during this period.

Pitru Paksha timeline

3138 BCE

The story behind Pitru Paksha

When Karna ( a warrior during the times of the Mahabharata) dies, his soul is served foods made of gold and silver. His hungry soul learns that this is due to his karma. While Karna was alive, he donated gold and silver but no food. His soul prays and returns to earth to donate food for a better afterlife.

6000 - 1000 BCE

Earliest evidence of ancestor worship

Evidence of the earliest form of ancestor worship was found in China in the Yangshao society, which existed in the Shaanxi Province area.

AD 1624–74

Gai Jatra

Gai Jatra, the Nepalese festival that commemorates the death of the people during the year, was started by King Pratap Malla to show his grieving wife that she alone had not lost a son.

1877

Ancestor worship is signified by a scholar

Herbert Spencer, the English philosopher-scientist, wrote in 'Principles of Sociology' that ancestor worship was the root of every religion.

2008

UNESCO inscribes the Day of the Dead

Like Pitru Paksha, on the Day of the Dead, people pray for their ancestors. In 2008, this tradition was inscribed in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Pitru Paksha FAQs

When is Pitru Paksha?

Pitru Paksha 2026 begins on Saturday, September 26, and concludes on Monday, October 12. This 16-day period is dedicated to honoring and remembering one’s ancestors through various rituals.

What is the significance of Pitru Paksha?

Pitru Paksha is a sacred period in Hinduism when descendants pay homage to their ancestors. It is believed that during this time, the souls of the departed visit Earth, and performing ‘Shraddh’ rituals helps them attain peace and liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

What are the main rituals observed during Pitru Paksha?

The primary rituals include ‘Shraddh,’ where food is offered to Brahmins, crows, cows, and dogs, symbolizing offerings to ancestors. ‘Tarpan’ involves offering water mixed with black sesame seeds to the ancestors. These rites are performed with devotion to ensure the peace of the departed souls.

What is 'Pitru Lok' in Hindu belief?

‘Pitru Lok’ is a transitional realm in Hindu cosmology where the souls of ancestors reside after death, before potentially moving on to higher spiritual planes or rebirth. It is believed that during Pitru Paksha, these souls descend to Earth to receive offerings from their descendants.

How to Observe Pitru Paksha

Remember your ancestors with rituals
Consult a Hindu priest or a family elder to learn the special rituals. Foods offered consist of rice, black sesame seeds and barley flour balls (Pindaas) along with water.
Help those less fortunate
It's believed that during Pitru Paksha, feeding and caring for anyone in need generates good karma that helps bring peace to the departed. What a great way to do your part!
Teach your children well
While you explain the significance of Pitru Paksha to your children, tell them that a good Hindu is respectful and loving to their parents, grandparents and elders. Remind your children that there are blessings in obedience.

5 Ways To Get A Karmic Boost Learning About Pitru Paksha

This is an inauspicious period
This 16-day period is considered an unfavorable time to start a new venture, get married, buy a house or a car.
Offer as a way to receive
Those who don't offer food and water to their ancestors during Pitru Paksha will receive none in their afterlife.
It washes away sins
Pitru Paksha is also the time a Hindu can wash off the sins inherited from his ancestors by performing the rituals and making offerings.
Feeding crows — a good omen
A crow eating the offerings is considered a good sign because crows are believed to be representatives of the God of Death, Yama.
It was performed only by men
Traditionally, Pitru Paksha was performed only by men, particularly sons, but times have changed. In families where there are no sons, daughters can perform the rituals instead.

Why Pitru Paksha is Important

Hindus believe it grants peace to their ancestors
According to the holy writings of the Gita and the Vedas, offerings made to the departed during Pitru Paksha bring peace to their souls and helps them reach their divine destination.
It reaffirms the Hindu faith in an afterlife
Death is not the end — it merely punctuates the cycle of birth and rebirths and Pitru Paksha marks the end of one's physical body. For the soul, what follows is a journey determined by each person's individual karma, which was earned during their lifetime.
It connects past and present generations
The Hindus believe that there are strong karmic ties between previous, current and future unborn generations. We are indebted to our ancestors. When we honor them by praying for their souls, we earn their blessings.