There is a reverant annual event in the Indian calendar known as Pitru Paksha (Pitt-true Puck-shuh). Today marks the beginning of the time period known as Pitru Paksha 2026 in North America, South America, Europe and Africa. Pitru Paksha (“the fortnight of the ancestors”) is a period dedicated to honoring our ancestors. This includes our blood relatives as well as significant teachers and close friends who were in our lives. Pitru Paksha 2026 begins on September 27th in India and the rest of Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
Pitru Paksha follows on the heels of the Ganesha Utsav Festival in India, where we worship the elephant headed God who is the remover of obstacles. Pitru Paksha 2026 is a time of remembrance and of offering our gratitude. What we have been given in this lifetime is due to the merits of generations of ancestors. This includes acts which are both known and unknown to us. We honor their legacy, as they paved the way for future generations.
Indians participate in special rituals and rites during this time. Many people participate in pujas or yajnas (fire rituals) for their departed ancestors, which are performed by Brahmins, or Vedic priests. It is particularly important to pay homage to the last 3 generations.
Offerings can also be made at home. You should wear white, modest clothing and face South. People make offerings with black sesame seeds mixed with white basmati rice and clarified butter (ghee). There are specific mantras which are recited during this period. Our ancestors contribute to our karmic legacy and it is important to honor their departed souls. Typically in Vedic astrology, the new Moon each month (amavasya) is also favorable for honoring your ancestors.
You may wish to donate food to a temple or a food kitchen or offer vegetarian food to others in honor of your ancestors on that day.
SHRAADHA PUJA
Another name for Pitru Paksha is Shraadh or Shraadh Paksha. The word Shraadh is a cognate of the word “shraddha” or faith. Shri Vivek Godbole explains, “We don’t know where our ancestors are in this lifetime and in what form they are in. When you offer food to them, then they will have food for one year. We don’t know where the soul is. In any form, the soul will give blessings.”
He also recommends putting some amount of money aside each month to honor your ancestors. Then after one year, donate that money to a local temple or charitable organization in memory of your ancestors.
Pitru Paksha 2026 commences on the first day of the waxing (dark phase) Moon in the Vedic lunar month of Bhadrapada each year. Vedamurti Vivekshastri Godbole elucidates on the importance of Pitru Paksha 2026 in these videos.
PRACTICES FOR PITRU PAKSHA 2026
Individuals focus on their spiritual practices and meditation during the entirety of Pitru Paksha. It is typically not a time to commence new ventures or to enter into new agreements. Marriages are typically to be avoided. Air travel should also be minimized as much as possible during Pitru Paksha. An exception under normal circumstances is if the travel is for spiritual purposes (i.e. a pilgrimage).
Families pay homage to relatives who have passed on. They do so on the specific phase of the moon (the tithi) which coincides with the day that the person left his/ her body. Special meals are also prepared for these days, according to Indian tradition. They include pinda – or rice balls mixed with sesame seeds and served on banana leaves. Offerings are made to ancestors at the bank of a river.
Pitru puja is done for ancestors who have departed the earthly plane more than one full year ago. For those who have left within the past year (i.e. less than 365 days), a different type of yajna is performed, to ensure that the soul travels safely on its journey. Regardless of when your ancestor departed the earthly plane, you can perform a puja on Mahalaya amavasya. This is the last night of Pitru Paksha. It falls on October 9th in North America and South America. For Europe, Africa, India, and Australia, Mahalaya Amavasya is on October 10th.
Then we focus our worship to the deities to grant us many boons in this lifetime. The festival of Navaratri starts after Pitru Paksha, on October 11th.