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This year, the holy day of Bhadrapada Amavasya – one of the holiest days in the Hindu new moon – will take place on Friday, September 11, 2026. While the Amavasya Tithi will commence from the morning of September 10 and will go on to the following sunrise, the major ritual will be performed on September 11, since the ritual of bathing, charity, and Pitru puja depends on the tithi at sunrise.
The Importance Of This Amavasya
It is called Pithori Amavasya or Kushotpatini/ Kushagrahani Amavasya and has a special meaning. First of all, it is believed that this day is very holy for performing Tarpan and Pind Daan to honour one’s ancestors. Moreover, on this day, the day for cutting kusha grass comes.
Procedure for Tarpan
It is recommended that devotees get up early and take bath either in a river or pond or some natural water body. However, where this is not possible, devotees may simply take bath at their residence and perform arghya to rising sun. In Tarpan, a mixture of water with black sesame seeds, barley, and kusha grass is offered to the ancestors either by facing south direction at a riverbank or any other clean and quiet place at the residence.
Procedure Of Pind Daan
In Pind Daan, small balls of rice mixed with sesame seeds and other items are prepared and symbolically offered to ancestors and then offered either to cow or floated in running water. Even though Pind Daan can be conducted at home, there are people who opt for visiting pilgrimage places such as Gaya, Haridwar or Prayagraj to perform Pind Daan.
The Importance Of Shradh
This ritual, done to pay respect to one’s forefathers, should ideally coincide with the particular tithi when ancestors died. However, when the date of demise is not known, Bhadrapada Amavasya would be an appropriate date.
Some Other Rituals For The Day
Apart from performing Tarpan or Pind Daan, devotees are advised to make offerings of food items, clothes or cash to people who need them. In the evening, many people light a lamp made of mustard oil under a Peepal tree and take a round of it seven times.
Also Read: What Is Shuddhikaran? Why Is The Purification Ritual Performed And Why Does It Spark Controversy?
Khushi Patel is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX, covering automotive, technology, Lifestyle, entertainment, and mainstream news. She previously worked as a Copy Editor at Times Network and has written automotive editorial content, including comparison pieces, for TimesDrive.
