Complete Amavasya dates 2026 — when to perform Tarpan, Pitru Puja and ancestor rituals. Includes Somvati Amavasya and Mahalaya Amavasya (Pitru Paksha) dates.
✦ Open Free ToolAmavasya is the new moon day — the 30th Tithi of the Krishna Paksha (waning fortnight). The Moon is completely dark, representing the thinning of the veil between the living and ancestors. It is considered the most sacred day for ancestral rites (Pitru Karma), Tarpan (water offering to ancestors), and Shraddha rituals. While Amavasya is inauspicious for new beginnings, weddings, or auspicious ceremonies, it is the most powerful day for ancestral work.
2026 has 12 Amavasyas, one each month. Key ones: Mauni Amavasya (February — silence vow, extremely sacred), Somvati Amavasya (any Amavasya falling on Monday — rare and very auspicious for Peepal tree worship and married women), Mahalaya Amavasya (September/October — the last day of Pitru Paksha, most important for ancestral rites). Use Astromathi's Muhurta calculator for exact timings based on your location.
On Amavasya: perform Pitru Tarpan (water offering to ancestors), light a diya (oil lamp) facing south (the direction of ancestors), donate food and clothes to the poor in the name of ancestors, chant the Mahamrityunjaya mantra 108 times, avoid non-vegetarian food, hair cuts, and new ventures. The Pitru Paksha fortnight (15 days ending on Mahalaya Amavasya) is the annual period dedicated entirely to ancestor propitiation.