Pitru Paksha Shradh 2024: Pitru Paksha is going to start on Monday (today) and end on 6th October. On these days, Hindus worship their deceased ancestors. It starts after the Full Moon day (Purnima Tithi) in Ashwin month, Krishna Paksha (based on Purnimant calendar), and Bhadrapada (based on Amavasyant calendar). The dates remain the same, even though the month names differ. During this period, people perform Shradh and Tarpanam rituals to pay homage to their dead relatives. Here is everything you need to know about Pitru Paksha Shradh.
Pitru Paksha Shradh 2024 Start & End Dates
| S. No. | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21st September | Pratipada Shradh |
| 2 | 22nd September | Dwitiya Shradh |
| 3 | 23rd September | Tritiya Shradh |
| 4 | 24th September | Chaturthi Shradh |
| 5 | 25th September | Panchami Shradh |
| 6 | 26th September | Sashti Shradh |
| 7 | 28th September | Saptami Shradh |
| 8 | 29th September | Ashtami Shradh |
| 9 | 30th September | Navami Shradh |
| 10 | 1st October | Dashami Shradh |
| 11 | 2nd October | Ekadashi Shradh |
| 12 | 3rd October | Dwadashi Shradh |
| 13 | 4th October | Trayodashi Shradh |
| 14 | 5th October | Chaturdashi Shradh |
| 15 | 6th October | Sarva Pitru Amavasya Shradh |
Pitru Paksha Significance
The Pitru Paksha Shradh commences after the Full Moon day and is roughly a 15-day period of great significance. Rituals like Shradh and Tarpanam/Tarpan are carried out to pay respects to ancestors.
Belief says that the unhappy souls of the deceased return to Earth to visit their family members. So, to ensure they attain Moksha (get liberated), people satisfy their hunger by performing the Pind Daan (offering food made of cooked rice and black sesame seeds). Prayers are offered, and rituals are performed to help the souls of ancestors get freed from the cycle of life and death.
The Pitru Paksha is also a significant period for people haveing Pitru Dosha or the curse of the ancestors. Hence, in this period, people perform Shradha rituals and offer food to the crows (beings that indicate the dead). By accepting that food, the crow intimates that the ancestors are pleased. If crow does not have the food then it intimates that the dead are displeased.
