Pitru Paksha 2025 Dates, Shraddha Rituals & Significance

What is Pitru Paksha?

Pitru Paksha (also called Shraddha Paksha, Mahalaya, or Shraddha period) is the 16-day lunar period each year when Hindus remember and honor their ancestors (pitrs). During these days, families perform Shraddha, Tarpan, and Pind Daan, offer food, water, and prayers for the peace of departed souls, and to clear ancestral debts (pitru-rina). This period is spiritually important but treated as inauspicious for starting major new ventures.

Pitru Paksha 2025 dates

Pitru Paksha 2025 begins on 7 September 2025 and concludes on 21 September 2025 with Sarvapitri Amavasya (Mahalaya Amavasya) —

Each day of this period is dedicated to different Shraddha rituals as per the tithi. Here are the important dates:

7 September 2025 (Sunday): Purnima Shraddha
8 September 2025 (Monday): Pratipada Shraddha
9 September 2025 (Tuesday): Dwitiya Shraddha
10 September 2025 (Wednesday): Tritiya Shraddha and Chaturthi Shraddha
11 September 2025 (Thursday): Panchami Shraddha (Maha Bharani)
12 September 2025 (Friday): Shashthi Shraddha
13 September 2025 (Saturday): Saptami Shraddha
14 September 2025 (Sunday): Ashtami Shraddha
15 September 2025 (Monday): Navami Shraddha
16 September 2025 (Tuesday): Dashami Shraddha
17 September 2025 (Wednesday): Ekadashi Shraddha
18 September 2025 (Thursday): Dwadashi Shraddha
19 September 2025 (Friday): Trayodashi Shraddha and Magha Shraddha
20 September 2025 (Saturday): Chaturdashi Shraddha
21 September 2025 (Sunday): Sarva Pitru Amavasya / Mahalaya Amavasya

Note: Shraddha tithis and the exact muhurat (timings) may vary slightly by location (city, time zone), and local panchang. For performing a ritual on a specific day, it is recommended to check your local panchang or consult a genuine and experienced astrologer in India, such as Pandit Pawan Kaushik.

Also check our thoughts on What Are the 14 Types of Pitra Dosh According to Vedic Astrology

Why Pitru Paksha 2025 dates matter

Pitru Paksha spans the waning moon (Krishna Paksha) at the end of the monsoon/harvest season in the Hindu calendar. The last day — Sarvapitri Amavasya (Mahalaya) — is believed to be when offerings for ancestors are especially effective. Many families plan Shraddha ceremonies on the tithi that corresponds to the ancestor’s death anniversary (tilak tithi) within these days.

Why People Perform Shraddha and Tarpan During Pitru Paksha

In Hindu tradition, Pitru Paksha holds deep significance when “Tarpan” & Shradhha are performed to repay the ancestral debt (followed since ancient times). According to the scriptures, performing these rituals brings peace to the souls of the ancestors. In Pitru Paksha, Shraddha is performed on the same tithi (lunar date) on which the ancestor had passed away during the year. As part of the Sharda rituals, people perform tarpan, conduct Bhraman Bhoj, give charity, and donate to seek the blessings of their ancestors and to gratify their forefathers (ancestors). The process is also called Pitrayag.

Simple Steps Involved in Pitru Paksha Shraddha

You don’t need to be a scholar to perform respectful Shraddha — here’s a simple, practical outline:

Tarpan (offering water): Stand facing a sacred water body (river, well) or a clean place, and offer water while chanting the tarpan mantras (a priest guides the sharaddha karta in the process). This honors the ancestors and is one of the simplest acts anyone can do.
Pind Daan (offering rice balls): Offer pindas (rice-mixed balls) for the departed souls. Traditionally performed by the son or a male descendant, but practices vary regionally. If you can’t visit a sacred spot, symbolic offerings at home are still meaningful.
Shraddha feeding (Anna daan): Feeding Brahmins, priests, or the needy is an important part of Shraddha. Often, people prepare simple sattvic food and offer it as anna daan.
Recitation & prayers: Recite the family’s prarthanas, do a short puja, or read the Mahapind or Garuda Purana passages (as guided by your family tradition).
Donation & charity: Donating grains, sesame, cloth, or dakshina on the Shraddha day and on Tuesdays is commonly advised. (Regional customs vary.)

Practical Checklist for Pitru Paksha 2025— what you’ll need

Cooked rice and sesame (til) items
Water and a vessel for Tarpan
Pinda ingredients (rice, barley, black sesame) — or symbolic substitutes if you’re unsure
Simple sattvic food to offer and distribute (vegetarian)
Flowers and a lamp (diya)
Cloth or dakshina for priests/charity recipient
A quiet place and a few printed/known mantras or a priest to guide you

Important Rules & Common Questions People Asked for Pitru Paksha 2025

Can women perform Shraddha? Yes — while many families have the son lead rituals, modern practice is flexible: women and any sincere family members can participate or perform symbolic rites if needed.
Is Pitru Paksha auspicious? It is spiritually potent for ancestral rites, but generally not for weddings, house-warmings or starting major projects.
Where to go for Pind Daan? Gaya (Bihar) is a major centre for Pind Daan; riverbanks and family-mapping temples across India also host these rites. If travel is not possible, perform at home or consult a priest. Apart from Gaya, there are holy places like Haridwar, Varanasi, Rameshwaram, Nashik, Ujjain, Pushkar (Rajasthan) etc are the famous holy sites for performing Sharradha and Tarpan. As per your convenience, you can visit any of these places or choose any of these spots based on the less distance from your area.

Also check our thoughts on Pitra Dosha in Kundli: Myths, Reality, and Remedies

Local Timing & Tithi Tips for Pitru Paksha 2025

Pitru Paksha observance depends on the tithi (lunar day). Shraddha for a particular ancestor ideally falls on the tithi of that ancestor’s death (if it occurs during Pitru Paksha). Tithi start–end times change with place — always check your city’s panchang for precise Shraddha muhurat and avoid doing Shraddha if the tithi doesn’t fall correctly on that day. Reliable online panchangs show all Shraddha tithi timings per city.

Do’s and Don’ts for Pitru Paksha 2025

Do’s: Offer food, give charity, visit a sacred water body for Tarpan, recite prayers for departed ancestors.
Do’s: Keep the food sattvic (no onion/garlic) when offering.
Do’s: Consult an experienced pandit for complex family rituals or if you want to perform Pind Daan for multiple ancestors.
Don’t: Schedule major auspicious ceremonies (weddings, new business starts) during Pitru Paksha.
Don’t: If you perform the rituals, you should avoid tamsik food (meat, fish, eggs, onion, garlic etc).
Don’t: It is also advised to avoid, hair cutting, shaving, nail cutting etc.

Pitru Paksha is a yearly reminder of gratitude: the past generations shaped our present. Performing Shraddha is both a duty and a healing act — it releases karmic tensions, honors memories, and restores emotional balance in families.

Also check out our thoughts on Things to Avoid during Pitru Paksha

Summary

This article gives a complete overview of Pitru Paksha 2025, covering the important Shraddha dates, tithis, rituals, and significance of this sacred period. It explains why Hindus perform Shraddha and Tarpan for their ancestors, what each day of Pitru Paksha means, and how these rituals help in seeking blessings and peace for departed souls. In short, it is a guide to understanding the dates, importance, and practices of Pitru Paksha 2025 in a clear and simple way.