Cow Shelter/Donation
The Divine Hindu App is here.
Chat free with top astrologers for your first 5 minutes every week, generate your Kundli, book temple Puja & Chadhava, and check today's Panchang — all in one app.
TL;DR — Mahalaya Amavasya 2026, also called Sarva Pitru Amavasya, falls on Saturday, 10 October 2026, the last day of Pitru Paksha. The Amavasya tithi runs from 9:35 PM on 9 October to 9:19 PM on 10 October (Drik Panchang, New Delhi), and shraddha is traditionally offered in the midday Kutup to Aparahna window. It is the one day when tarpan can be offered for every ancestor, even if the death tithi is unknown, and if you cannot reach a river you can have Mahalaya tarpan offered at Srirangapatna or at Gaya and Kashi.
Pitru Paksha 2026, the fortnight of the ancestors, runs from 26 September to 10 October and closes with Mahalaya Amavasya, when families across India remember every ancestor together. For the full fortnight, see Pitru Paksha 2026 dates and vidhi.
Mahalaya Amavasya 2026 date and time
Mahalaya Amavasya 2026 is on Saturday, 10 October 2026. The Amavasya tithi (the lunar day of the new moon) begins on Friday night and ends on Saturday night, so all of Saturday's daytime, including the midday shraddha window, falls inside Amavasya across India.
| Timing (IST) | New Delhi (Drik Panchang) | Ujjain (Prokerala) |
|---|---|---|
| Amavasya tithi begins | 9:35 PM, Friday 9 October | 9:36 PM, Friday 9 October |
| Amavasya tithi ends | 9:19 PM, Saturday 10 October | 9:20 PM, Saturday 10 October |
| Kutup muhurat | 11:45 AM – 12:31 PM | 11:50 AM – 12:37 PM |
| Rohina muhurat | 12:31 PM – 1:18 PM | 12:37 PM – 1:23 PM |
| Aparahna kaal | 1:18 PM – 3:37 PM | 1:23 PM – 3:42 PM |
| Pitru Paksha 2026 | 26 September – 10 October 2026 | |
| Navratri begins | Sunday, 11 October 2026 (runs 11–19 October) | |
What these windows mean. A muhurta is a traditional unit of time. Daylight is divided into 15 muhurtas of roughly 46–48 minutes each. Kutup is the eighth, around midday, and Rohina the ninth. Aparahna kaal is the afternoon part of the day. Tradition prefers that Pitru Paksha shraddhas are done in Kutup or Rohina and finished before Aparahna ends.
Bengaluru, Mysuru and Srirangapatna times differ by a few minutes because sunrise and sunset differ, so confirm with your local panchang. If your family purohit follows a different custom, follow them.
Our pandit offers Mahalaya tarpan on the Kaveri at Srirangapatna, privately, in your family's names and gotra. Booking closes at 4 PM IST on Friday 9 October.
Book Srirangapatna Mahalaya tarpan →
What is Mahalaya Amavasya (Sarva Pitru Amavasya)?
Pitru Paksha is a period of 16 lunar days in which Hindus honour their ancestors with food and water. Pitru means ancestors. Shraddha is the rite offered to them with faith. Tarpan is the offering of water mixed with black sesame, and pinda daan is the offering of balls of cooked rice. The fortnight ends on the new moon, called Sarva Pitru Amavasya ("new moon of all ancestors"), Mahalaya Amavasya, Pitru Moksha Amavasya, Peddala Amavasya in Telugu and Mahalaya Amavasai in Tamil.
Southern and western India call it Bhadrapada Krishna Amavasya; North India, whose months end on the full moon, calls the same day Ashwin Krishna Amavasya.
Why this day matters
Each ancestor's shraddha is normally offered on the tithi on which they died. Sarva Pitru Amavasya is meant for all ancestors, whatever their tithi, and it is the most important day of the fortnight. If you missed a shraddha earlier, or never knew the date, this is the day to offer it. It also covers ancestors whose tithi is forgotten and those who left no one to remember them. Tradition holds that shraddha on this day is as fruitful as one offered at Gaya.
The story of Karna
In a well-known story, the generous Karna reached the heavens after the Mahabharata war to find that every morsel he touched turned to gold, because he had given gold all his life but never food to his ancestors. He was allowed back to earth for a fortnight to offer food and water in their memory, remembered since as Pitru Paksha.
Who should offer tarpan, and for whom?
In traditional practice, the son, usually the eldest, offers shraddha. If there is no son, a male relative of the father's line takes it up. The rite names the three preceding generations along with the family gotra (lineage). On Sarva Pitru Amavasya, a daughter's son may offer shraddha for his mother's family if it has no male heir.
Traditional teachers also list others who may perform shraddha so that no ancestor is left without it, including the daughter, wife, mother, daughter-in-law, grandson, brother and nephew. Views on women offering tarpan differ (see the FAQ). Follow your family custom and your purohit, and do not let the day pass without remembrance.
For whom? Name your father, grandfather and great-grandfather; your mother, grandmother and great-grandmother; and your mother's side. Then add a general offering for all ancestors, known and unknown. That offering is what makes the day Sarva Pitru, "all the ancestors".
How to do Mahalaya tarpan at home: a simple traditional method
This is a simple outline from common practice; details differ by region and family, so follow your purohit if you have one. For how tarpan differs from shraddha, tripindi and Narayan Bali, read our guide to the four rites.
What you need
- A copper or brass vessel of clean water, and a plate to receive the offered water
- Black sesame (kala til)
- Kusha (darbha) grass, including a small ring of it (pavitri) for the right ring finger
- A lamp, incense and white flowers
- A written list of your ancestors' names, their relationship to you, and your gotra
Step by step
- Prepare. Bathe, wear clean clothes (a dhoti is traditional for men), sit on a clean mat, and light the lamp.
- Wear the pavitri on the ring finger of your right hand.
- Make the sankalp, a spoken statement of intent: your name and gotra, the day (Mahalaya Amavasya), and that you are offering tarpan for your ancestors.
- Devas and rishis first, if your tradition does this. Many traditions first offer water to the devas facing east and to the rishis (sages), then turn to the ancestors.
- Face south for the ancestors. If you wear a janeu (sacred thread), move it to the right shoulder. This position is called apasavya or prachinaviti.
- Offer til-jal. Take water mixed with black sesame in your cupped right hand and let it flow out over the pitru tirtha, the part of the palm between the thumb and index finger, into the plate. Offer three handfuls (anjali) for each ancestor, saying their name, relationship and gotra, followed by "tarpayami" ("I offer this water to satisfy you").
- Make the general offering of three handfuls for all ancestors, known and unknown, on both sides of the family.
- Close. Return the janeu to the left shoulder (savya), ask forgiveness for any mistake, and pour the tarpan water at the foot of a tree or plant where no one will step on it.
- Feed others. Set aside food for a cow, a crow and a dog, and feed a Brahmin or someone in need before the family eats.
A full shraddha with pinda daan is longer. Pindas are balls of cooked rice and barley flour mixed with ghee and black sesame. The rite is usually done with a priest, often on a river bank.
What to donate on Mahalaya Amavasya
- A cooked meal for a Brahmin or for people in need. Traditional menus include kheer, rice and dal.
- Food for a cow, a crow and a dog. The crow is traditionally seen as a messenger between the living and the ancestors.
- Black sesame, which old ritual texts quoted by traditional teachers recommend giving on the day of shraddha.
- Uncooked grain, clothes and a respectful dakshina (a gift of thanks) to the priest who helps you.
Give what you can with sincerity. The size of the gift is not the point.
What not to do on Mahalaya Amavasya
- Do not skip the day because you do not know the tithi. Sarva Pitru Amavasya exists for exactly that case.
- Avoid non-vegetarian food and alcohol at home on the day.
- Avoid new beginnings. Many families do not cut hair or nails, and do not hold weddings or a griha pravesh (housewarming) during Pitru Paksha.
- Do not leave the shraddha for the evening. It is traditionally done at midday.
- Do not discard offerings carelessly where they will be stepped on.
Customs vary. Where your elders follow a different practice, respect it.
Mahalaya 2026 in Bengal: Devi Paksha and Mahishasura Mardini
In Bengal, Mahalaya marks the start of the Durga Puja season and ushers in Devi Paksha, the bright fortnight of the Goddess. Tradition holds that Goddess Durga descends to earth on this day. Families also offer tarpan to their ancestors, at home and on the Hooghly ghats.
Mahalaya morning in Bengal means the radio programme Mahishasuramardini. All India Radio (Akashvani) first broadcast it from Calcutta in 1931, and it has aired at dawn on Mahalaya ever since. It is about an hour and a half of Chandi path from the Durga Saptashati woven with Bengali devotional songs, recited by Birendra Krishna Bhadra, with music by Pankaj Mullick and script by Bani Kumar. Many households wake at about 4 AM to listen; a 1976 remake with the actor Uttam Kumar was not well received, and the original returned. Check your local AIR schedule for 2026.
In 2026, Mahalaya dawn is Saturday 10 October and Navratri begins on Sunday 11 October. Read our Navratri 2026 guide and Durga Puja 2026 dates and Sandhi Puja.
Elsewhere, the Bathukamma festival in Telangana begins on Mahalaya Amavasya. In Tamil Nadu, thousands take a holy dip at Agni Theertham, the seashore beside the Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram, and offer tarpanam.
Where families offer Mahalaya shraddha
Shraddha is traditionally offered on the bank of a river or lake, or at home. Some places carry special weight:
| Place | River or tirtha | What families do |
|---|---|---|
| Gaya, Bihar | Falgu river, Vishnupad temple, Akshayavat | Pind daan; an annual Pitru Paksha Mela |
| Kashi (Varanasi) | The Ganga ghats | Tarpan and shraddha on the Ganga |
| Srirangapatna, Karnataka | The Kaveri: Paschima Vahini, Gosai Ghat, the Sangama, Sopanakatte | Tarpan and pinda pradana; the ghats fill on Mahalaya Amavasya |
| Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu | Agni Theertham | Holy dip and tarpanam |
| Kolkata | The Hooghly ghats | Tarpan and shraddha on the river |
Srirangapatna on the Kaveri
Srirangapatna is an island town on the Kaveri in Mandya district, Karnataka, and home to the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, known as Adi Ranga, the first of the five Pancharanga kshetras (Ranganatha temples) along the Kaveri. Local press reports describe large crowds on Mahalaya Amavasya at Sopanakatte, Gosai Ghat, Paschima Vahini and the Kaveri Sangama, where families offer pinda to the river.
Srirangapatna is also known for asthi visarjan (immersion of ashes). That is an in-person rite; Divine Hindu does not offer it online. Read more about Paschima Vahini, the Srirangapatna Sangam and the Ranganathaswamy temple.
How to have Mahalaya tarpan performed on your behalf
If you live far from a tirtha, are unwell or abroad, a priest can offer the rite in your name through sankalp, with your gotra and your ancestors' names. Can a puja be done remotely? explains the tradition, and How online puja works walks through the steps.
At Srirangapatna, on the Kaveri
- Private rite: our pandit performs your Mahalaya Amavasya tarpan on the Kaveri banks at Srirangapatna, at the Sangama, the Paschima Vahini ghat or Gosai Ghat, as the vidhi and the day require.
- Sankalp: only your family's names and gotra are included.
- Muhurat: our team confirms the date on WhatsApp and shares the muhurat fixed by the pandit.
- Video: the video of your rite reaches you on WhatsApp within 3–4 days. No prasad is sent for Srirangapatna pujas.
- Booking closes: 4 PM IST on Friday 9 October 2026.
Divine Hindu is not connected with the Sri Ranganathaswamy temple or any temple or temple board. Our pujas are done by our pandit on the Kaveri banks, not inside any temple.
At Gaya and Kashi
If your family's custom points to Gaya or the Ganga, see the Sarva Pitru Amavasya Mahalaya puja at Gaya and Kashi, Gaya pind daan and Ganga tarpan at Kashi. Everything is in the Pitru Paksha 2026 collection, and our online shraddh and tarpan guide compares the options.
Other Srirangapatna rites for the ancestors
We also offer pitru tarpan, tithi shraddha and pinda pradana, tila homa and pitru dosha parihara (tila homa and pitru dosha parihara close at 4 PM IST two days before). See all Srirangapatna pujas or pitra dosh remedies.
Private tarpan on the Kaveri at Srirangapatna, video on WhatsApp within 3–4 days. Booking closes 4 PM IST, Friday 9 October.
Book Mahalaya tarpan at Srirangapatna →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the date and time of Mahalaya Amavasya 2026?
Mahalaya Amavasya 2026 is on Saturday, 10 October 2026. Drik Panchang gives the Amavasya tithi for New Delhi as 9:35 PM on 9 October to 9:19 PM on 10 October, with Kutup muhurat 11:45 AM to 12:31 PM, Rohina muhurat 12:31 PM to 1:18 PM and Aparahna kaal 1:18 PM to 3:37 PM. Times shift by a few minutes in other cities, so confirm with your local panchang.
Can daughters or women offer tarpan on Mahalaya Amavasya?
Traditional practice gives the duty first to the son and then to male relatives of the father's line. Traditional teachers also list the daughter, wife, mother and daughter-in-law among those entitled to perform shraddha, and say it is better for a woman to perform it than for it not to be done at all. Many priests still prefer a male performer, so views differ by family and region. Gaya remembers Sita offering pind daan for King Dasharatha, and in September 2025 President Droupadi Murmu offered pind daan and jal tarpan at the Vishnupad temple in Gaya.
What if I do not know the tithi on which my ancestor died?
That is exactly what Sarva Pitru Amavasya is for. Tradition holds that shraddha and tarpan on this day reach all ancestors, whatever their death tithi, and it also makes up for a shraddha missed earlier in Pitru Paksha. Name the ancestors you know, then make a general offering for all ancestors on both sides of the family.
Can Mahalaya tarpan be done at home?
Yes. A simple tarpan with water, black sesame and kusha grass, offered facing south with the names and gotra of your ancestors, is widely done at home. Longer rites with pinda daan are usually done with a priest, often on a river bank. If you cannot do it yourself, a pandit can perform it on your behalf with your family's sankalp.
What should I donate on Mahalaya Amavasya?
Common offerings are a cooked meal for a Brahmin or for people in need, food set aside for a cow, a crow and a dog, black sesame, uncooked grain, clothes and a respectful dakshina to the priest. Give what you can with sincerity.
Is Srirangapatna as good as Gaya for Mahalaya shraddha?
Gaya holds a special place in tradition, and a shraddha on Sarva Pitru Amavasya is itself said to be as fruitful as one done at Gaya. Srirangapatna on the Kaveri is a long-standing place of rites for the ancestors for families across Karnataka, and its ghats fill on Mahalaya Amavasya. Choose the place that fits your family custom. No place and no puja can promise a particular result; the rite is offered in faith and gratitude.
Is Mahalaya the same as the start of Durga Puja?
In Bengal, Mahalaya marks the start of the Durga Puja season and the beginning of Devi Paksha, the fortnight of the Goddess, and many families listen to the Mahishasuramardini radio programme at dawn. The same day is Sarva Pitru Amavasya for ancestors across India. In 2026, Navratri begins the next day, Sunday 11 October.
After Mahalaya: what comes next
Mahalaya closes the fortnight of the ancestors and opens the season of the Goddess. Navratri begins on 11 October, and on Saturday 17 October the river is honoured on Kaveri Sankramana 2026.
Related reading: Purnima and Amavasya 2026 dates · Hindu festival calendar 2026 · Tarpan, shraddha, tripindi and Narayan Bali · Booking a pandit-performed pooja from home
