Pitru Paksha Shraddha Tithi Finder 2026: Find Your Exact Date

Every year, millions of Hindu families set aside a fortnight to remember their ancestors. But most of us only remember one part correctly: the fortnight's name. The one question that actually matters, "which exact day do I perform Shraddha for my father, my mother, my grandfather?", is where nearly everyone gets stuck. This guide, and the free finder tool below, answers that question properly, with dates worked out from scratch rather than copied from somewhere else.

Quick Answer
Pitru Paksha 2026 runs from Saturday, 26 September to Saturday, 10 October. Your ancestor's Shraddha falls on the same lunar day (Tithi) they passed away on, not the same calendar date each year. Use the free tool below, or the table further down, to find your exact 2026 date in seconds.

What Pitru Paksha Actually Is

Pitru Paksha, also called Mahalaya Paksha, is a sixteen-day period in the Hindu calendar set aside for honouring one's ancestors, called Pitrs. In 2026, it runs from Saturday, 26 September to Saturday, 10 October.

The idea behind it goes back to one of the oldest ideas in Hindu thought: that every person is born owing three debts, called the Rina Traya. A debt to the sages who preserved knowledge (Rishi Rina), a debt to the divine forces that sustain life (Deva Rina), and a debt to one's ancestors, whose lives made one's own life possible (Pitru Rina).

जायमानो वै ब्राह्मणस्त्रिभिऋणवा जायते

Jayamano vai brahmanah tribhir rinava jayate

"A person is born already carrying three debts."

Source: Taittiriya Samhita 6.3.10.5

Shraddha, the ritual performed during Pitru Paksha, is how the Pitru Rina is repaid. The Markandeya Purana describes what this brings the one who performs it sincerely:

आयुः प्रजां धनं विद्यां स्वर्गं मोक्षं सुखानि च। प्रयच्छन्ति तथा राज्यं पितरः श्राद्धतर्पिताः॥

Ayuh prajam dhanam vidyam svargam moksham sukhani cha, prayachchhanti tatha rajyam pitarah shraddhatarpitah

"When pleased by Shraddha, one's ancestors grant long life, children, wealth, wisdom, happiness, and ultimately liberation."

Source: Markandeya Purana

Why Shraddha Isn't Done on a Fixed Date

This is the part every generic festival calendar skips. Shraddha for a specific ancestor is not performed on a fixed calendar date. It is performed on the Tithi (lunar day) that ancestor passed away on, wherever that Tithi falls within this year's Pitru Paksha fortnight.

So if your father passed away on Saptami (the seventh lunar day) years ago, his Shraddha this year falls on whichever date in the fortnight carries Saptami this year, not the same calendar date every year. That date moves, because the Hindu lunar calendar and the everyday solar calendar drift against each other.

Don't know your ancestor's exact Tithi? Don't worry. Sarva Pitru Amavasya, the very last day of the fortnight, exists precisely for this. Explained further down.

How the Correct Day Is Decided: The Aparahna Rule

Classical Dharma Shastra texts, chiefly the Dharmasindhu and the Nirnaya Sindhu, lay down a specific rule: Shraddha should be performed on whichever day the correct Tithi governs the Aparahna period (roughly the third quarter of daylight hours, typically between about 1:30 PM and 4:00 PM). This is called the Aparahna Vyapini rule.

Most free Panchang websites simply print a list of dates without this reasoning, so if a Tithi behaves unusually in a given year, the printed date can be wrong, or at least unexplained. Two situations come up almost every year:

• Tithi Kshaya: a Tithi that begins after one sunrise and ends before the next, so it never governs any day's Aparahna on its own. Its Shraddha is combined with the Tithi immediately before it.
• Tithi Vriddhi: a Tithi that spans two sunrises, so it governs the Aparahna on two consecutive days. The earlier of the two is normally used.

Verified Dates for Pitru Paksha 2026

We worked out this table ourselves, using the actual positions of the Sun and Moon for 2026 (the same method used for classical Panchang calculation), rather than copying a list from somewhere else. Where our result disagreed with something published elsewhere, we've noted it.

Date	Day	Tithi	Note
26 Sep	Saturday	Purnima Shraddha	Opens the fortnight
27 Sep	Sunday	Pratipada
28 Sep	Monday	Dwitiya
29 Sep	Tuesday	Tritiya
30 Sep	Wednesday	Chaturthi + Panchami	Panchami is a Kshaya Tithi this year, observed with Chaturthi
1 Oct	Thursday	Shashthi
2 Oct	Friday	Saptami
3 Oct	Saturday	Ashtami
4 Oct	Sunday	Navami	Avidhava/Matru Navami (for married women who passed before their husbands)
5 Oct	Monday	Dashami
6 Oct	Tuesday	Ekadashi
7 Oct	Wednesday	Dwadashi
8 Oct	Thursday	Trayodashi
9 Oct	Friday	Chaturdashi	Reserved for unnatural or accidental deaths
10 Oct	Saturday	Sarva Pitru Amavasya	Mahalaya (for unknown Tithis, missed days, or all ancestors together)

Two Days With Special Rules

Navami (4 October) is traditionally reserved for married women who died while their husband was still living, sometimes called Avidhava Navami or Matru Navami. If your ancestor doesn't fit this description, most families use Sarva Pitru Amavasya instead.

Chaturdashi (9 October) is traditionally reserved for those who died an unnatural, violent, or accidental death. Even if your ancestor's death Tithi happened to be Chaturdashi, if the death was by natural causes, families conventionally move the observance to Sarva Pitru Amavasya rather than use this day.

One more point worth knowing: if your ancestor's Shraddha this year happens to fall on a day the Moon is in Bharani Nakshatra, tradition holds that the merit earned is equal to performing Shraddha at Gaya itself, one of Hinduism's most significant pilgrimage sites for ancestral rites.

Find Your Ancestor's Exact Date

Enter what you know below (the Tithi, or just the date your ancestor passed away) and the tool will show you the exact 2026 Shraddha date, explain any special rule that applies, and let you download a PDF summary to keep or share with family.

Pitru Paksha Shraddha Tithi Finder

Find the exact 2026 date for your ancestor's Shraddha

Ancestor's name (optional, for your PDF) Which Tithi did they pass on? (Krishna Paksha, Bhadrapada/Ashwin) Pratipada Dwitiya Tritiya Chaturthi Panchami Shashthi Saptami Ashtami Navami Dashami Ekadashi Dwadashi Trayodashi Chaturdashi Amavasya / don't know the Tithi

Ancestor's name (optional, for your PDF) Date they passed away

We work out the Tithi that ruled that date using the Sun and Moon's positions, the same as a printed Panchang.

Performing Tarpan: a simple starting point

Every family's tradition differs by region and sampradaya; follow yours if you have one. This is a general starting point.

• You will need: water, black sesame seeds (til), a small vessel, and a cloth to sit on.
• Face south, traditionally the direction associated with the Pitrs.
• Offer water mixed with sesame seeds with folded palms, remembering the ancestor by name.
• Many families also feed a Brahmin, a cow, a crow, or a dog that day.
• If no priest is available, reciting the Vishnu Sahasranama or a chapter of the Garuda Purana is accepted in many traditions.

"When pleased by Shraddha, one's ancestors grant long life, progeny, wealth, wisdom, happiness, and ultimately liberation."
Markandeya Purana

Family record (optional, included in your PDF)

This tool follows the Aparahna Vyapini rule for Shraddha Tithi (Dharmasindhu, Nirnaya Sindhu). It is a calculation aid, not a substitute for your own family tradition or your family purohit, who may follow a regional variation.

Brought to you by Dekho Dham, a free guide to Hindu temples and pilgrimage planning across India. More temple and travel guides »

If You Don't Know the Exact Tithi

This is common, and nothing to feel bad about. Family records fade, especially across generations or after a move. Sarva Pitru Amavasya, 10 October 2026, is the day set aside precisely for this: unknown Tithis, missed days, and honouring all ancestors, named and unnamed, together.

A Simple Note on Performing Tarpan

Every family's tradition differs slightly by region, sampradaya, and family custom, and that is exactly as it should be. What follows is general orientation, not a substitute for your own family's practice or your purohit's guidance.

• Tarpan is the offering of water, usually mixed with black sesame seeds, to one's ancestors.
• It is typically performed facing south, the traditional direction associated with the Pitrs.
• Many families also feed a Brahmin, a cow, a crow, or a dog on this day, each traditionally understood as a way the offering reaches the ancestors.
• If a priest cannot be present, reciting the Vishnu Sahasranama, or a chapter of the Garuda Purana, is considered an acceptable alternative in many traditions.

If your family follows a different regional custom for any of this, follow your family's custom. This section is a general starting point for readers without one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I perform Shraddha on a different day if the calculated date is inconvenient?

Traditionally, no. The Tithi is what matters, not convenience. If the exact day is genuinely impossible, many families consult their purohit for an acceptable adjustment, or use Sarva Pitru Amavasya instead.

Is Pitru Paksha inauspicious?

No. It is a solemn period, not an unlucky one. What is generally postponed during this fortnight is the celebratory: weddings, Griha Pravesh, buying a vehicle, starting a new venture. Ordinary life, including birthdays, continues normally.

What if my ancestor's Tithi doesn't appear on the table above?

Every Tithi from Purnima through Amavasya is covered in the table. If your ancestor's Tithi was in the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) rather than the dark fortnight, that exact Tithi doesn't recur within Pitru Paksha itself; Sarva Pitru Amavasya is the conventional day used in that case.

What is the difference between Shraddha and Tarpan?

Shraddha is the full ritual performed on the ancestor's specific Tithi, usually involving a priest, offerings of food (Pind Daan), and prayers. Tarpan is specifically the water offering, and can be a standalone act of remembrance or part of the larger Shraddha ceremony.

Do I need a priest to perform Shraddha?

Traditionally yes, for the full ceremony, since it involves specific mantras and steps best guided by someone trained in them. If a priest genuinely cannot be arranged, many families perform a simplified Tarpan themselves, or recite the Vishnu Sahasranama or a chapter of the Garuda Purana as an accepted alternative.

What is Mahalaya Amavasya, and how is it different from a regular Amavasya?

Mahalaya Amavasya, also called Sarva Pitru Amavasya, is the final day of Pitru Paksha (10 October 2026). Unlike a regular monthly Amavasya, this one is specifically set aside for offering Shraddha to all ancestors together, and is used whenever the exact Tithi is unknown or was missed.

Can Shraddha be performed for a grandmother or great-grandfather, not just parents?

Yes. Shraddha during Pitru Paksha is traditionally offered to three generations of ancestors on both the paternal and maternal side, not only one's immediate parents. Families commonly remember grandparents and great-grandparents in the same ceremony.

What if I don't know whether my ancestor's Tithi was in the bright or dark fortnight?

If there is genuine uncertainty, Sarva Pitru Amavasya (10 October 2026) is the conventional and widely accepted choice, since it is meant to cover exactly this situation.

Is it necessary to travel to Gaya or another pilgrimage site to perform Shraddha?

No, Shraddha can be performed at home. Travelling to Gaya, Haridwar, or another site associated with ancestral rites is considered especially meritorious by tradition, but it is not a requirement, and most families perform the ritual at home with a priest.

Can women perform Shraddha rites?

Practice varies by family and region. In many traditions today, especially when there is no surviving son, daughters and other family members perform or arrange the Shraddha. If your family follows a specific custom, that custom takes precedence over any general rule.

Related Reading

• Understanding the Hindu Calendar, a simple guide to how Tithi, month and year work in the Hindu calendar
• What Is Panchang?, with a live calculator for today's Tithi, Nakshatra and more
• Hindu Calendar, October to December 2026, the full festival calendar for the months covering Pitru Paksha

Sources

• Taittiriya Samhita 6.3.10.5: Rina Traya, the three debts
• Markandeya Purana: verse on the benefits of Shraddha
• Dharmasindhu and Nirnaya Sindhu: Aparahna Vyapini rule and Tithi Kshaya/Vriddhi handling
• 2026 Tithi calculations performed independently for this article using solar and lunar longitude, cross-checked against classical convention