Pitru Paksha is a 16 days duration of fortnight generally falls in September or October. In 2026 it starts from 26^th Sep Poornima Shradh to 10 Oct Sarva Pitru Amavasya. According to Hindu tradition Shradh is performed according to Tithi that matches their date of passing. Because of it, dates vary every year. If there is any confusion regarding tithi and muhurat then one should consult with a qualified priest to avoid any type of mistakes. And in case there is no idea of the tithi of the no more people then it can be performed on Sarva Pitru Amavasya.

According Hindu tradition the elder son of the family is the primary performer of Shradh. In case if there is no son then eligible relative like – nephew, brother, grandson can perform such rituals. In some family if they don’t have son then the daughter is also permitted to perform these rituals of Shradh. Shradh can be performed at home and at holy place like Gaya, Haridwar and many more places. Up to 70% people use to perform these rituals at home. Let’s discuss about the things which we have to follow in case of performing such rituals at home.

 Key Samagri that requires to perform such rituals are as follows:

• Most common samagri that is used in different religions is – water, black sesame, kusha, uncooked rice, brass or copper vessels and plate or thali (better if it is of copper or brass as these metals are auspicious for such rituals)
• Chandan paste, flowers, diya, cotton wicks, incense sticks or dhoop, match box and ghee.
• Pind making mixture for Pind daan, Fruits and sattvik food prepared for offerings.
• The offerings must be served in banana leaves as it is considered auspicious or plates made up of dry leaves (pattal) . It totally depends on the tradition they follow.
• Wear unstitched clothes of light colour and also include unstitched clothes for donation like white dhoti. Dakshina to give the priest after puja for performing the rituals.

These are the items or samagri that is widely used by many religions for Shradh rituals. If someone followed the rituals by Purohit guidance their list of samagri may be little elaborated.

 Tips for performing the rituals at home:

• Cleanliness: clean your home completely. A tidy, quiet corner of the home creates an environment that attracts positivity and makes your mind stress free for performing the rituals.
• Space to perform the rituals: Ideally according to Hindu tradition people use to perform such rituals in place near the Puja area or balcony or terrace with access to the open sky. Also make sure the space must be away from the household noise and foot traffic. In a clear word it is noise free space because it allows one to concentrate in rituals with peace of mind.
• Food : Kitchen must be clean where you are going to prepare the offerings. It can be done without tasting the food before it is offered. It must be Sattvic food with garlic and onion.
• Arrange puja samagri: Keep your all puja samagri ready  before performing the rituals. It will help the rituals flow smoothly and avoid any type of disturbance.
• Maintain personal cleanliness: Personal cleaning is as important as house cleaning for this ritual. Take bath properly and wear clean and light-colored clothes. It will help you feel calm and focus on rituals. But don’t do any type of salon activity during this duration.
• Keep the ritual area undisturbed: Until the ritual finishes avoid that area for unrelated household tasks that day. In some religions people don’t let the clothes dry of the person who is going to perform the rituals until the rituals get finished.

Shradh Vidhi:

• Aasan: Clean the chosen area and place two aasan- one for who performs the rituals and one for the Priest.
• Samagri: Keep all samagri at puja space to perform the rituals smoothly.
• Sankalp: It is a short declaration of stating the ancestors and the purpose of ritual.
• Tarpan: Tarpan means offering water with black sesame seeds with copper vessels by naming the ancestors and facing towards South as this direction is considered as the direction of ancestors.
• Pind dan: Pind daan means offering a small rice ball structure by remembering the ancestors. These rituals can be done as per guidance of the Priest.
• Food: Sattvic meal is prepared and a portion of it is kept first for ancestors on a banana leaf with lightning diya and praying for peace for their soul and for granting blessings to family members. Then after it will be distributed among family members.
• Donation: Food and clothes are offered to Brahmins. Foods are also offered to crows, cows and dogs. According to hindu tradition, if the food is accepted by cow, crow and dog then it is believed that ancestors had accepted our offerings.

These all are the tips of performing the Shradh at home step by step. If it is difficult for you to perform at home then you can make a visit to Gaya, Rishikesh, Kashi, Haridwar, Puri and many more places where performing such rituals are considered auspicious.

Pitru Paksha 2026: Do’s & Don’ts During Shradh