🪷 Pitru Paksha (Shraddha) and Sarva Pitru Amavasya Puja Vidhi — step by step
This is the household vidhi — the simple home form of the tithi shraddha (tarpan, panch-bali, feeding Brahmins), the Sarva Pitru shraddha of the Amavasya; the full vidhi with a priest if available.
How to do Pitru Paksha (Shraddha) and Sarva Pitru Amavasya — the steps
- The start of the paksha (Purnima/Pratipada): cleaning the house, the ancestors' picture/place in the south — water, lamp, flowers, Tulsi; sankalp — 'the shraddha and tarpan of the ancestors of (name) gotra in this Pitru Paksha'; tarpan every morning through the paksha (if possible) — water, sesame and kusha in a copper pot, facing south, water released over the thumb side (the pitru tirtha), '(name) gotra (ancestor's name) tripyatam' three times.
- The tithi shraddha (on the ancestor's death tithi): bathe in the morning, the men of the house (son/grandson — if none, the daughter/wife may perform it, FAQ below) facing south; invoking the ancestors — a kusha seat, sesame-water-barley; padya and arghya to the Brahmin (or the ancestors' symbol); pind-daan — 3 (or 1) balls of cooked rice-barley-sesame-ghee-honey — father, grandfather, great-grandfather; a reading of the Pitru Sukta/Gajendra Moksha/Gita chapter 7.
- Panch-bali (five morsels): five morsels of the shraddha meal on leaves — the cow (go-bali), the dog (shwan), the crow (kaka — place it on the roof/in the open, if the crow comes the ancestors are satisfied), the ant (pipilika — flour and sugar), the gods (Agni — a share of ghee and food); these first, then the Brahmin, then the family.
- Feeding Brahmins: the shraddha meal (kheer-poori-sabzi-the ancestor's favourite) for 1-3 Brahmins (or the daughter and son-in-law/nephew/sister — equal to the ancestors), dakshina, the gift of clothes-umbrella-footwear-grain; silence while serving, no fanning (some customs), the farewell with sesame-water after the meal — 'Pitarah priyantam'.
- Women: the shraddha meal cooked after bathing, in silence, without tasting (the ancestors first); no garlic-onion-masoor-brinjal; Tulsi and banana leaves; on the death tithi of the mother-in-law/mother/grandmother or on Matri Navami, a meal and suhag items for a married Brahmin woman/the daughter.
- Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Mahalaya): the shraddha and tarpan for those whose tithi is unknown, all ancestors, married daughters, gurus, friends, those who died untimely — for all; pind-daan in the afternoon, panch-bali, feeding Brahmins, charity (grain-clothes-umbrella-footwear-cow); a lamp in the south in the evening — the farewell of the ancestors 'punaragamanaya'; from Pratipada the next day the Navratri — the ghatasthapana.
- Pacifying pitru dosha: water, milk and sesame at a peepal on the Amavasya, 'Om Pitribhyah Namah' 108 times, Gita 7/the Pitru Sukta, daily morsels for the cow, dog and crow, feeding the poor; a vow of the Gaya shraddha (as means allow); whether or not the chart has the dosha — the shraddha of Pitru Paksha is for everyone.
- Through the paksha: no weddings, engagements, housewarming or new purchases (jewellery-vehicle-house — folk custom; in the scriptures only auspicious sanskaras are forbidden); no cutting hair, nails or beard (men — many homes), celibacy, sattvic food, remembrance of the ancestors, charity.
Puja samagri checklist
Kusha, sesame, barley, a copper pot, the pind materials, the shraddha meal, charity — the Pitru Paksha list.
- Kusha grass (seat and ring — pavitri), black sesame, barley, copper pot/thali, water, Gangajal, a seat facing south
- Pind: cooked rice/barley flour, sesame, ghee, honey, milk, jaggery — 3 balls (father-grandfather-great-grandfather) or 1 for all ancestors
- The ancestors' picture/place, lamp (mustard/sesame oil), flowers (white — jasmine/lotus, not red), Tulsi, sandalwood, incense
- The shraddha meal: kheer (rice-milk), poori, pumpkin/ridge gourd/arbi sabzi, chana/urad dal (by tithi), kadhi, raita, the ancestor's favourite; banana leaves/leaf plates
- Panch-bali: 5 leaves (cow-dog-crow-ant-gods), flour and sugar (ant), ghee
- Brahmin dakshina, charity: grain (rice-wheat), clothes (dhoti-sari), umbrella, footwear, utensils, sesame-jaggery, cow fodder; black sesame and iron for Yama's pleasure (some customs)
- Sacred thread (for apasavya), the Pitru Sukta/Gita/Garuda Purana (shraddha chapter), a simple shraddha book if there is no priest
- Peepal service: water-milk-sesame, lamp; materials for the vow of the Gaya shraddha (if possible)
Kheer-poori, pumpkin-ridge gourd, urad dal, the ancestors' favourites — the shraddha kitchen
The shraddha meal is sattvic and to the ancestors' taste — kheer (rice-milk — dearest to the ancestors), poori, seasonal vegetables (pumpkin-ridge gourd-arbi-okra), urad/chana dal, kadhi, raita, pickle, laddoo; the father's favourite sweet/dish without fail; no garlic-onion-masoor-brinjal-chana (some customs)-stale food; women cook after bathing, the panch-bali first, then the Brahmin, then the family.
- Kheer (rice-milk-saffron — the main bhog of the ancestors), poori (ghee), halwa/laddoo (besan/sesame)
- Vegetables: pumpkin (sitaphal), ridge gourd, arbi, okra, potato-tomato, bottle gourd — seasonal; urad/chana dal vadas, kadhi-pakodi, raita (cucumber/boondi), pickle-chutney
- The panch-bali morsels: a share of kheer-poori-sabzi on each leaf; the crow's morsel on the roof/in the open, the cow's at the cowshed, to the dog, flour and sugar to the ants
- For the ancestor: whatever they loved — malpua, gulab jamun, mango, paan, tea (in modern homes) — with faith; no fish on Mahalaya in Bengal (the shraddha home), payesh-luchi
- South: the shraddha sadya (Kerala), a plain meal after the pitru tarpan — rice-sambar-avial-payasam, vada (urad — dear to the ancestors), banana; Maharashtra: kheer-poori-bhaji, alu vadi, the naivedya of 'Pitru Pandharavda'
- Forbidden: garlic-onion, masoor, brinjal (some), chana/sattu (some customs), stale food, meat-fish-liquor, outside/packaged food
Rules — do's and don'ts
✅ Do
- The shraddha on the ancestor's death tithi (afternoon — time above), on the Amavasya if unknown; daily tarpan (if possible)
- The panch-bali — crow, cow, dog, ant, gods; a meal and dakshina for a Brahmin/the daughter and son-in-law/nephew
- Kheer-poori and the ancestor's favourite; women cook sattvic food after bathing, the ancestors first
- The gift of grain, clothes, umbrella, footwear, cow fodder; peepal service; a vow of the Gaya shraddha (as means allow)
- With faith — even a handful of water is enough; a daughter/wife may perform the shraddha too (if there are no men)
❌ Don't
- No weddings, engagements, housewarming or new business in Pitru Paksha; no new purchases (folk custom — in the scriptures only auspicious sanskaras are forbidden)
- No garlic-onion-masoor-brinjal-stale-outside food in the shraddha meal; no meat or liquor; no eating the shraddha meal standing/tasting it
- No driving away or disrespecting the crow, cow and dog; no sending a beggar or guest away empty-handed (the ancestors come in their form — folk belief)
- No cutting hair, beard or nails for men (many homes), oil massage, new clothes; no night shraddha (no shraddha after sunset)
- No speaking ill of the ancestors, quarrels or lies; no show in the shraddha — without faith there is no fruit
Vrat katha
The tale of Karna: after death the generous Karna reached heaven — there he was given gold, silver and jewels as food, not grain; when he asked, Indra said 'all your life you gave gold, but never food and water to your a… Read the full katha →
Frequently asked questions
When is Pitru Paksha in {Y}, from when to when?
This year's dates of the Sarva Pitru Amavasya (the end) and the Purnima shraddha (the start — the day after Anant Chaturdashi) are above — 15-16 days; the tithis in between (Pratipada…Chaturdashi) from the panchang — the shraddha on the day matching the ancestor's death tithi; two tithis sometimes fall on one day through tithi kshaya/vriddhi — confirm with a priest/panchang.
On which tithi to perform the shraddha if the death tithi is unknown?
On Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Mahalaya) — for all ancestors, unknown tithis, married daughters, untimely deaths (accidents — Chaturdashi too), gurus, friends, everyone; for married women on Matri Navami too; if the tithi is known, on that day and the sarva shraddha on the Amavasya as well.
Can a woman/daughter perform the shraddha?
Yes — if there is no son, the wife, daughter, granddaughter, daughter-in-law, brother or nephew may perform it (the Dharma Sindhu/Garuda Purana for those without sons); Sita performed Dasharatha's pind-daan at Gaya; modern priests conduct pind-daan for daughters at Gaya; faith is what matters, not gender.
Why no new purchases/auspicious work in Pitru Paksha?
In the scriptures only auspicious sanskaras (weddings-mundan-sacred thread-housewarming) are forbidden — because this is the ancestors' time, not one of celebration; the ban on new purchases (jewellery-vehicle-house) is folk custom — some priests say the ancestors give blessings and a purchase is auspicious; follow your household custom; everything opens from the Navratri.
What if the crow does not come?
The crow is Yama's messenger, its taking of the morsel satisfies the ancestors — folk belief; if it does not come, place the morsel on the roof/in the open and wait, 'Kakaya Namah' — then give it to the cow/dog; in the scriptures the spirit of the panch-bali is 'food for all beings' — if no crow, a sparrow/any bird; the ancestors are not displeased, faith is what is seen.
What is pitru dosha and the remedy in Pitru Paksha?
Certain combinations of the Sun with Rahu/Ketu/Saturn in the chart (the 9th house/Sun afflicted) are called pitru dosha — a folk cause of delayed children, illness, discord; remedies — the tithi shraddha and Amavasya shraddha in Pitru Paksha, peepal service, Gita 7/the Pitru Sukta, daily morsels for the cow, crow and dog, feeding the poor, Narayan Bali at Gaya/Trimbak (with a priest); confirm first with a chart check (dosha report); the shraddha with faith is the greatest remedy.
🏠 Pitru Paksha (Shraddha) and Sarva Pitru Amavasya 2026 — date, muhurat, full page · All vrat & festivals