Pitru Paksha 2025 start date and end date: Know Shradh dates, rituals, significance and more
It is believed that performing Shradh rituals during this time helps the souls of ancestors find peace and attain moksha (salvation).
The last day of Pitru Paksha is called Sarvapitri Amavasya or Mahalaya Amavasya, which is considered very important during this period.
When does Pitru Paksha start and end in 2025?
According to the Hindu calendar, Pitru Paksha begins on the full moon (Purnima) day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada and ends on the new moon (Amavasya) day of Krishna Paksha.
This year, Shradh will start on Sunday, 7th September 2025 and will end on Sunday, 21st September 2025.
Pitru Paksha 2025 tithi dates
Why is Pitru Paksha important?
Pitru Paksha is a time to show love and respect to your departed family members. Hindus believe that offering food, prayers, and rituals during this time brings peace to the souls of ancestors. It is also said that these actions help the souls to reach moksha (salvation).
Pitru Paksha (Shradh) rituals
People follow certain rituals and customs during these 15 days. These include:
1. Tarpan
This is the act of offering water and black sesame seeds (til) to ancestors. It is believed to quench their thirst in the afterlife.
2. Pinda Daan
In this ritual, people offer rice balls made with ghee and sesame seeds to their ancestors. This is done to nourish their souls and help them find peace.
3. Shradh Ceremony
Many families perform a proper Shradh puja, where they offer food, clothes, and other items to priests or Brahmins. This is seen as a good deed done in memory of the departed.
4. Charity and Donations
Giving food, clothes, or money to the poor or to temples is common during Pitru Paksha. It is believed to bring blessings from the ancestors and help their souls rest peacefully.
5. Visiting Ancestral Places
Some people go to their native villages or burial spots to perform the rituals and show respect to their elders who have passed away.
6. Fasting
Many people also observe fasts during these 15 days to show devotion and respect for their ancestors.
Pitru Paksha history & significance:
Here's a brief overview of the history and significance of Pitru Paksha:
Mention in Hindu Scriptures
The idea of respecting and remembering our ancestors comes from Hindu scriptures like the Vedas and Puranas. These texts say that offering prayers and food to the souls of our departed family members during Shradh helps bring them peace in the afterlife.
Teachings in the Bhagavad Gita
In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna talks about the importance of offering food to ancestors. He explains that it is not just a tradition but also a form of devotion. Doing these rituals during Pitru Paksha helps one receive blessings and grow spiritually.
Story of King Mahabali
Another well-known tale is about King Mahabali. He was a kind and just ruler. According to mythology, Lord Vishnu came to him in the form of Vamana during Pitru Paksha and sent him to the underworld. But because of Mahabali's goodness, he was given a special blessing—to visit his people once a year during this time. This visit is celebrated as Onam in Kerala.
Story from the Mahabharata
The Mahabharata, one of the oldest epics in India, has a story linked to Pitru Paksha. Karna, a well-known character, is said to have donated food and wealth during this time. Because of his kind deeds, he earned great rewards. This story shows why doing good things during Pitru Paksha is important.
Importance of Amavasya and Tarpan
The last day of Pitru Paksha is Mahalaya Amavasya, which is the most special day of this period. On this day, people perform Tarpan or Shraddha rituals that include offering water, food, and prayers to their ancestors. It is believed that these offerings bring peace to the souls of the departed and bring blessings to the family.
Why Pitru Paksha Still Matters Today
Pitru Paksha is still followed with great faith by many Hindu families. People come together to remember their ancestors by offering pind daan (rice balls) and doing other rituals. It is believed that these acts help the souls of ancestors rest in peace and also bring good fortune to the living.
Pitru Paksha reminds us how important family is and how strong the bond is between past and present generations. It teaches us that honouring our forefathers brings harmony, blessings, and spiritual progress in life.
(Note: Dates/timings may be subject to change; details mentioned here are as per the information available.)
For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
5 hours ago
- Economic Times
Hindu temple in China reveals trade flourished between the two countries
The long trade route from India to China was instrumental in the establishment of temples with Hindu imagery In the city of Quanzhou in Fujian province of China, there is a Buddhist temple, whose base and pillars are full of Hindu imagery. It reveals the long connection of trade between India and China via the sea route from western coast of India through the Malacca straits (Singapore). The images show lions, which is native neither to South India nor to China. Lions became symbols of royalty in India and China, and was a name adopted by the people of Sri Lanka (Sinhala, or lion people) and Singapore (Singha-pura, city of lions). This reveals how ideas travel along with per local lore, a merchant requested the landlord to grant him a piece of land to build a temple to the Buddha. The landlord, unwilling to part with the land, said he would do so only if the mulberry trees in his garden bloomed with white lotus flowers. That is precisely what happened. The landlord then granted the land to the Buddhist monk, and the temple was established. This became a place where different kinds of temples were built by monks and merchants of various Buddhist and Hindu a result, even today one finds images of Shiva in his iconic Shiva Linga form, worshipped by an elephant. There is another image of Shiva with matted locks. An image of Narasimha-an unusual South Indian form known as Purushavrigha (Vyaghrapada), a tiger-footed devotee of Shiva-is also present. There is even an image of Parvati with a demon seated at her feet, worshipped by locals who believe it to be a form of Guan Yin, the compassionate female bodhisattva of Chinese tradition. There is even a pillar resembling a Shiva Linga which local people believe to be a stone bamboo shoot-but it is most likely a Shiva trade routes connecting India to China were overland, via Central Asia. The sea routes taking advantage of monsoon winds came oldest Ramayana manuscripts do not mention China. But the oldest Mahabharata manuscripts do. China became familiar with India first indirectly via Central Asian tribes around 200 BC and then directly by 200 AD. This was in the time of the Han emperors (200 BC to 200 AD), when China had been unified. India was called Shendu (from Sindhu) and Tianzhu (heavenly Bamboo grove, from the Buddhist Venu-vana). Buddhism was welcomed, as it brought solace at a time of great turmoil when Chinese lands were torn by civil wars. In the Tang period (600 AD to 900 AD), when unification took place, Chinese encouraged the import of Buddhist texts and Buddhist relics from India. This is when Buddhist ideas, in Sanskrit, were translated into Chinese script-a complex process as both the sound system and the writing system, not to mention the language structure and meaning structure, was radically different. But by the end of this period, local Confucian scholars became hostile to Buddhism and practices like relic the Song period (1000-1300), China was seen as a centre of Buddhism. Buddhism had declined in India, and many people travelled to China which was seen as the land of Maitreya Buddha (future Buddha), Manjushri (sword-bearing Bodhisattva of knowledge) and Amitabha Buddha (saviour Buddha of pure land). The old land routes to China became risky due to the rise of Mongol armies. Instead, the sea became the preferred route to China. This is when Chola kings of Tamilakam established contact with the Chinese imperial court, via the monsoon winds, ships sailed from Arabia to the western coast of India in approximately 30 days. Ships then sailed from the eastern coast of India in another 30 days to the Malacca Straits. Then an additional 30 days to reach China. Effectively, in 100 days-around three to four months-one could travel from Arabia to the farthest edge of was a major trade route, with horses being transported from Arabia to South Asia, Southeast Asia and China via the sea, especially when land routes were exchange, China supplied silk, silver, tea and porcelain. Gold from Southeast Asia was traded for Indian cotton. Spices and aromatic plants were also exchanged. This was an extensive trading network. A powerful merchant guild in India (the 500) controlled much of this trade. This trade enriched the Rashtrakuta dynasty who controlled much of Karnataka around 800 AD. The wealth funded some of the earliest temples in India-as well as a cluster of temples in Southeast China.
Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Indian Express
Funeral practices across faiths and regions in India
Different cultures imagine the afterlife differently and so have different funeral practices. Typically, those who believe in one life place bodies in tombs and mark burial sites with gravestones. Likewise, those who believe in rebirth merge the body with nature: through fire, water or even exposure to wild animals. In Assam, the Ahom kings, who came from China via Southeast Asia in the 13th century, used to bury the dead in mounds known as Moidams. Sometimes, even attendants or other people were buried along with the kings. This changed after they became Hindus and started following the practice of cremation. As per the Hindu customs, the bones were then cast into a river to facilitate rebirth. Thus, a shift in funeral practices reveals a shift in culture. In prehistoric times, pots were integral to burial. In primary burials, ancient people used to bury the dead within pots. In secondary burials, pots would contain bones collected after cremation. Tamil Sangam poetry even refers to a widow asking a potter to create a large pot for her deceased husband. Prehistoric burial sites also have 'cist', pits lined with stones, typically found in South India. In the Harappan civilization, there was cremation but many communities buried the dead. Burial sites have been found in Harappa where people with very minimal burial goods like beads and some pots. In Dholavira, there are burial mounds with no bodies, perhaps raised in memory of those who died while travelling to distant lands. Megaliths in the Deccan region are related to burial sites of the Iron Age (1000 BC). Megalithic culture is typical of South Indian culture at the time Vedic culture thrived in Ganga-Yamuna river basin. At the burial sites, the shrine would be made of two vertical stones over which a capstone is placed horizontally (called dolmens). Under the structure, bones and food items were kept to remember the dead. The Vedas refer to both cremation and burial practices. Cremation is mentioned in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Dasharatha is cremated. Ravana is cremated. Kauravas are cremated. Post-funeral rituals involved feeding the dead, the Pitr. Funerals are typically in upper caste communities, who can afford firewood. Many lower caste communities continue to follow pre-Vedic burial practices. Burials are often done in fields owned by the family to indicate ownership and proprietorship. In many parts of India, people were buried in the seated position, especially if they belonged to a religious community. It was believed that people who belonged to a religious community would not be reborn. In many Hindu monasteries, the saint would be buried in a seated position, and tulsi would be planted above it in a specially designed pot. In the case of Jain monks, often a tree would be planted on the grave or a stupa would be built on top of it. The building of stupas over the bones of cremated monks was a practice which was even followed by the Buddhists. In fact, Buddhists were reviled by the Vedic people as worshippers of bones. Buddhist sites of burial of body or bones were called Stupas while Hindu and Jain sites were called Samadhis. Sepulchre shrines were built, where the site of burial or the site of cremation would be marked by a temple with an image of the Shivling placed on it. This was practiced by a few Chola kings. In Rajasthan, Gujarat and many parts of India, hero stones marked the spot where a warrior died protecting the village from raiders or wild animals. Sati stones marked spots where women immolated themselves on their husbands' funeral pyre. Nishidhi stones in Karnataka mark sites where Jain sages fasted to death. Tomb building began with the arrival of Islamic culture in India after the 10th century AD. But tomb building is not an Arabic practice. Rather, it comes from Central Asia. The Arabs buried the dead, and ancient Zoroastrians (Persians) exposed their dead to the elements and wild birds like vultures. The central Asian tribes, who had embraced Islam, liked to build tombs and began the construction of monumental tombs in India. Therefore, after the 10th century, we find in India the tombs of Khiljis, Tuglaqs, Lodis and Suris, followed by the famous Mughal monuments – the most famous being the Taj Mahal. Sufi saints' burial sites also became places of pilgrimage. Observing this Muslim practice, many Rajputs began building cupolas and pavilions at the site of royal cremation. These were the Chattris. Some are even found in Maharashtra and Gujarat. This was a practice that became popular from the 13th century to the 19th century. Even today, sites where political leaders are cremated are marked with 'samadhis'. This was against the Vedic belief that no trace of the dead should be kept in order to facilitate rebirth. There are tribal communities such as the Monpa in Northeast India where the bodies are cut into 108 pieces and the pieces are thrown into rivers to be consumed by fish. Thus, the study of the funeral monuments across India offers insights into the diverse religious practices and beliefs in the country. Why did the Ahom kings in Assam, who used to bury the dead in mounds known as Moidams, change this practice? What are hero stones, sati stones, and nishidhi stones, and what do they commemorate? How have funerary practices been shaped by caste, class, and accessibility—such as the use of firewood for cremation? What does the evolution of funerary architecture reveal about India's interaction with Persian, Central Asian, and indigenous traditions? The study of the funeral monuments across India offers insights into the diverse religious practices and beliefs in the country. Comment. (Devdutt Pattanaik is a renowned mythologist who writes on art, culture and heritage.) Share your thoughts and ideas on UPSC Special articles with Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Time of India
Observe Sankashti Vrat on August 12: Lord Ganesha's blessings for a smooth journey ahead
On the Chaturthi date of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada, the Sankashti Chaturthi fast will be observed. The Chaturthi that falls after Purnima (Full Moon) during the Krishna Paksha is known as Sankashti Chaturthi or Sankat Chauth. According to Hindu beliefs, observing this fast helps in the removal of all kinds of obstacles and troubles. According to Celebrity Astrologer Parduman Suri, on August 12, the moonrise will occur at 8:20 PM, and it will set on August 13 at 6:35 AM. Therefore, the Sankashti Chaturthi fast for the month of August will be observed on August 12, and the fast is concluded after sighting the moon. Each lunar month in the Hindu calendar has one sacred day dedicated to Lord Ganesha, which falls on the fourth day of Krishna Paksha. When this Chaturthi falls on a Tuesday, it is specially known as Angaraki Sankashti Chaturthi, Angarika Chaturthi, or simply Angaraki. The day is called Sankashti Chaturthi, and the fast is observed to overcome life's challenges and to seek Lord Ganesha's blessings. By observing this vrat (fast), Lord Ganesha removes all obstacles and brings prosperity and happiness into one's life. Fasting Rituals * First, clean the idol and the area of Lord Ganesha with Ganga water before installing the idol. * Offer Durva grass, highly favored by Lord Ganesha, fresh flowers, ghee lamps and other sacred items during the puja. * Begin the worship with chanting of mantras and recitation of the vrat katha. * In the evening, after performing puja and aarti, offer Arghya (water offering) to the moon, which marks the completion of the ritual. This article is written by celebrity Astrologer Parduman Suri. Discover everything about astrology at Times of India , including daily horoscopes for Aries , Taurus , Gemini , Cancer , Leo , Virgo , Libra , Scorpio , Sagittarius , Capricorn , Aquarius , and Pisces . Read your detailed Horoscope Today and Horoscope Tomorrow here.
