Pitru Paksha: shraddh and tarpan for families abroad
What the fortnight of the ancestors means, the 2026 dates, and how families in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia can take part.
Prepared by the Global Vedic Puja Jyotish team · Pandit: Pandit Shastri Gyan Nidhi Pandey · Updated
What is Pitru Paksha?
Pitru Paksha, also called Shraddh Paksha or Mahalaya Paksha, is set aside for the pitrs: the departed parents, grandparents and earlier generations of the family. Each day of the fortnight corresponds to a lunar tithi, and the shraddh for a person is traditionally done on the day matching the tithi on which they died. The rites express gratitude and remembrance, and they are believed to bring peace to the ancestors and blessings to the family.
The main rites are tarpan, the offering of water with black sesame and kusha; pind daan, the offering of rice balls with sesame, honey and ghee; and shraddh, which includes feeding Brahmins, the poor, cows, crows and dogs, and giving daan. Many families also keep simple customs through the fortnight, such as avoiding new purchases and celebrations.
Pitru Paksha 2026 dates
According to the New Delhi panchang, Pitru Paksha 2026 ran from late September to early October:
Sat 26 Sept 2026
Purnima shraddh (Bhadrapada Purnima), observed the day before the fortnight proper
Sun 27 Sept 2026
Pratipada shraddh, the first day of Pitru Paksha
Sun 4 Oct 2026
Navami shraddh (Matri Navami), traditionally for mothers and married women of the family
Fri 9 Oct 2026
Chaturdashi shraddh, traditionally for those who died suddenly or by accident
Sat 10 Oct 2026
Sarva Pitru Amavasya (Mahalaya Amavasya): for all ancestors, including those whose tithi is not known
Some calendars count the fortnight from Purnima (26 September), others from Pratipada (27 September), which is why you will see both start dates. A tithi begins and ends at a fixed moment, so in the Americas or Australia a shraddh tithi can fall on a different calendar day than in India. Send us your city and we will give the dates for your location; for next year's Pitru Paksha, check the dates with us.
How families abroad can do shraddh and tarpan online
Traditionally a son or another family member performs shraddh in person. When that is not possible, the sankalp can be taken in your name and a pandit can perform the rites on your behalf, an arrangement with a long history in the tradition. Many families now combine both: a short tarpan at home, and pind daan at a tirth in India.
Shraddh and tarpan at a tirth, in your name
Our pandits perform tarpan, pind daan and shraddh at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj with your names and gotra in the sankalp. Photos are shared afterwards; a live link or recording can be arranged on request.
Tarpan at home, guided live
On the tithi of your ancestor, the pandit leads you on video through a simple tarpan: water, black sesame (til), kusha grass and a few mantras, facing south. You need only a bowl, a lota and a plate.
Pitru dosh shraddh puja
If a chart reading suggests pitru dosh, or the family simply wishes to honour the ancestors more fully, a pitru dosh shraddh puja can be done online with your sankalp.
Asthi visarjan
If the family is holding ashes, we explain the options for immersion at a tirth and the rules to check in your country before anything is carried or sent.
What to send us
- The name and gotra of the person taking the sankalp (Kashyap is used if the gotra is not known)
- The names of the departed and their relation to you
- The tithi or date of passing, if known
- Your city and time zone, and whether you would like a live link
Time zones
Shraddh is traditionally done around midday, in the kutup, rauhin or aparahna periods. When our pandits perform it at the Sangam, it happens in the Indian morning or midday, which is the previous evening or night in North America, early morning in the UK, and afternoon in Australia. For a guided tarpan at home, we fix a time on your tithi that suits your local day.
Related services
Families abroad: USA · UK · Canada · Australia
Frequently asked questions
When was Pitru Paksha in 2026?
Per the New Delhi panchang, Purnima shraddh was on Saturday 26 September, Pitru Paksha proper began with Pratipada on Sunday 27 September, and it ended with Sarva Pitru (Mahalaya) Amavasya on Saturday 10 October 2026. Tithi dates abroad can differ by a day, so check your city's dates with us.
Which day should we do shraddh for our ancestor?
Traditionally, on the Pitru Paksha day that matches the tithi on which the person died. If the tithi is not known, Sarva Pitru Amavasya is the day for all ancestors.
Can we do shraddh online from the USA, UK, Canada or Australia?
Yes. You can ask our pandits to perform tarpan and pind daan at the Sangam in your name, or do a guided tarpan at home on video. The sankalp is taken in your names and gotra either way.
Must it be done only during Pitru Paksha?
No. Pitru Paksha is the main period, but shraddh and tarpan are also done on the death anniversary tithi, on any Amavasya and at tirths through the year.