Pitru Paksha Begins (पितृ पक्ष आरंभ) is a tithi-based observance falling in the Hindu lunar month of भाद्रपद. Its position is fixed by tithi rather than by the Gregorian calendar, so the date moves every year and is computed from the panchang. No fast is prescribed for the day.
Pitru Paksha Begins
पितृ पक्ष आरंभ
Hindu month: भाद्रपद
Panchang Basis (Tithi Rule)
Each year this observance falls on the Pratipada tithi of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Ashvina. Because lunar tithis drift against the Gregorian calendar, the English date shifts every year — the tithi rule above is what stays fixed.
About This Festival
The opening day of the sixteen-day fortnight of the ancestors — from Purnima shraddh onward, families perform daily tarpan, pind-daan on the ancestor's tithi, and feed brahmins, crows, and cows in the pitrs' name.
सोलह दिवसीय पितृ पक्ष का आरंभ — इस पखवाड़े में प्रतिदिन तर्पण, पूर्वज की तिथि पर पिंडदान और पितरों के नाम पर ब्राह्मण, कौए व गाय को भोजन कराया जाता है।
Significance
For this fortnight the pitrs are believed to visit their descendants, receiving the water and food offered in shraddh. Honouring them is the direct remedy for Pitra Dosh — the ancestral affliction Jyotish links to recurring obstacles, delayed santaan, and family discord — which is why tirthas like Gaya, Prayag, and Siddhpur overflow with pind-daan pilgrims now. New purchases, vivah, and shubh muhurats pause; the fortnight belongs to gratitude and runa-mukti (release from ancestral debt), closing on Sarva Pitru Amavasya when all forgotten ancestors are fed together.
Puja Vidhi (How to Observe)
Each morning after snan, offer tarpan facing south — water poured with black til and kusha grass — naming the three preceding generations. On the ancestor's own tithi within the fortnight, perform the fuller shraddh: pind-daan of rice, til, and ghee, panch-bali portions for crow, cow, dog, ant, and deva, then brahmin bhojan with dakshina. Keep food sattvik and the household conduct restrained through the fortnight. Those unable to perform daily rites may do a single shraddh on Sarva Pitru Amavasya.
Regional Names
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Pitru Paksha Begins celebrated?
Pitru Paksha Begins is celebrated on Sunday, 27 September 2026 in 2026 and Thursday, 16 September 2027 in 2027. The date changes each year because it follows the Hindu lunar calendar (Panchang) — every date here is computed from real planetary positions using the Swiss Ephemeris engine, not copied from a fixed list.
Is Pitru Paksha Begins a fasting (vrat) day?
Pitru Paksha Begins is not primarily a fasting day, though many families still keep a light fast or a sattvic diet as part of the observance.
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