Pitru Paksha begins
A fortnight for ancestors.
Celebrated everywhere
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday, 27 September 2026 |
| 2027 | Thursday, 16 September 2027 |
| 2028 | Monday, 4 September 2028 |
| 2029 | Sunday, 23 September 2029 |
| 2030 | Thursday, 12 September 2030 |
| 2031 | Wednesday, 1 October 2031 |
Dates are for Mumbai. A tithi that changes close to sunrise or sunset can fall a day earlier or later in another city, so for your own town open the festival in the app.
When it falls
1st day of the waning moon, in Bhadrapada. Like every lunar festival it lands on a different Gregorian date each year. Muhurtha works the date out from the positions of the Sun and Moon, using the rule for this festival; see how every festival is dated.
The story
The dark fortnight of Bhadrapada belongs to the ancestors. Karna, the story says, was fed gold in heaven because he'd never given food in charity; he was sent back for these fifteen days to feed his forebears.
How it is kept
Shraddha and tarpan — offerings of water, sesame and food — for departed family. New purchases and celebrations are traditionally held off.
Common questions
When is Pitru Paksha begins in 2027?
In 2027, Pitru Paksha begins falls on Thursday, 16 September 2027 in Mumbai. Dates for other years are in the table above.
How is the date of Pitru Paksha begins decided?
1st day of the waning moon, in Bhadrapada. Like every lunar festival it lands on a different Gregorian date each year. Muhurtha works the date out from the positions of the Sun and Moon, using the rule for this festival; see how every festival is dated.
How is Pitru Paksha begins kept?
Shraddha and tarpan — offerings of water, sesame and food — for departed family. New purchases and celebrations are traditionally held off.
Other festivals nearby
Open the Muhurtha app to see Pitru Paksha begins for your own town, with the exact time its tithi begins and ends. How every festival is dated.
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