The ancestors (pitrs)
Pitru Paksha
A fortnight of remembrance and shraddha for the ancestors.
Tithi: Bhadrapada Purnima to Ashwin Amavasya (north) · Bhadrapada Purnima to Bhadrapada Amavasya (west & south) — the same night
Which calendar do you follow?
The bright fortnight is named the same everywhere. A dark fortnight belongs to one month in the north and to the month before it in Maharashtra, Gujarat and the south — the same night, two true names. Saved only on this device.
In the simplest words
Two quiet weeks for remembering our grandparents and great-grandparents — offering water and food, and saying thank you to everyone who came before us.
The story & purpose
Before the Devi's nine nights, tradition sets aside fifteen days for the debt no one outlives — to those who gave us our bodies and names. Tarpan is offered with water and til; food is given in their name to brahmins, the poor, cows, and crows — the pitrs' messengers.
The fortnight follows Karna's story: served gold in the hereafter because he had only ever given gold, never food, he was returned to earth for fifteen days to feed the hungry — which is why anna-daan, plain food given onward, is the paksha's true currency.
What is done
Tarpan
Water with black til offered daily facing south, remembering the lineage.
Shraddha on the tithi
Each ancestor's rite on the tithi of their passing; Sarva Pitru Amavasya covers all.
Anna-daan
Feeding in the ancestors' name — the fortnight's essential charity.
Best timings
Shraddha rites are done in Kutapa kaal (late morning to midday).
Exact muhurat varies by city and tradition — for the precise hour, consult a local panchang for your location.
Worth knowing
Gaya in Bihar is the classical seat of pinda-daan.
New purchases and celebrations traditionally pause till Navratri opens.
Prayagraj, Kashi, Rameswaram and Badrinath's Brahma Kapal are the other classical seats of shraddha beside Gaya.
Mantras of this festival
Note: Family shraddha customs differ widely — the family's own purohit guides the rites.