Pitru Paksha Puja 2025 – Date, Rituals, Significance, and How to Perform Shraddha

What is Pitru Paksha?

The word Pitru means “ancestors” and Paksha means “fortnight.” During this time, Hindus pay homage to their forefathers through special rituals. It is believed that the souls of ancestors visit the earth during this period to bless their descendants when properly worshipped.

The rituals are guided by the belief that offering food, water, and prayers to ancestors helps them attain peace in the afterlife, while also ensuring harmony and prosperity for the family.

Importance of Pitru Paksha Puja

1. Gratitude to Ancestors – Expresses respect and thankfulness to forefathers.
2. Spiritual Purification – Helps resolve ancestral karmic influences (Pitru Dosha).
3. Family Prosperity – Brings blessings for health, career, and children’s well-being.
4. Fulfillment of Duties – Considered a sacred responsibility (dharma) for all Hindus.
5. Peace for Departed Souls – Ensures liberation (moksha) for ancestors’ souls.

Pitru Paksha 2025 – Key Dates

• Start Date: Sunday, 7th September 2025
• End Date: Sunday, 21st September 2025
• Mahalaya Amavasya (most important day): Sunday, 21st September 2025

Main Rituals of Pitru Paksha Puja

1) Tarpan (Offering of Water)

• Performed near rivers, ponds, or at home with sesame seeds, water, and darbha grass.
• Water is offered while chanting ancestor names.

2) Pind Daan (Offering of Rice Balls)

• Cooked rice, sesame seeds, and barley flour are made into pindas.
• These are offered to ancestors with devotion, usually at sacred places like Gaya, Prayagraj, or Haridwar.

3) Shraddha Puja

• Includes havan, mantra chanting, and offering food to Brahmins.
• Food is served on banana leaves or earthen plates as per tradition.

4) Charity and Feeding the Needy

• Cows, birds, and needy people are fed as a symbolic act of serving ancestors.

Rules to Follow During Pitru Paksha

• Maintain purity and devotion during rituals.
• Avoid celebrations, new ventures, or marriages during this period.
• Simple satvik food is preferred; tamasic foods like onion, garlic, and meat are avoided.
• Daily prayers for ancestors bring merit (punya).

How to Perform Pitru Paksha Puja at Home

Even if you cannot travel to traditional pilgrimage spots, you can honor your ancestors at home:

1. Take a bath early morning.
2. Set up a small altar with a photo of ancestors (or simply invoke them mentally).
3. Offer sesame water (tarpan), flowers, and incense.
4. Prepare simple satvik food and offer a portion in their name before eating.
5. Chant the mantra:
   “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Pitru Devataabhyo Namah”
6. Donate food, clothes, or money to Brahmins or the poor.

Significance of Mahalaya Amavasya

The last day of Pitru Paksha, Mahalaya Amavasya (19th Sept 2025), is considered the most important. Performing pind daan and tarpan on this day is believed to satisfy generations of ancestors and remove obstacles caused by Pitru Dosha.

Book Pandit for Pitru Paksha Shraddha & Pind Daan

If you wish to perform Pitru Paksha Puja with complete Vedic rituals, BookMyPooja offers:

• Trained pandits in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Bengali traditions
• Pind Daan, Shraddha, and Tarpan services at Gaya, Prayagraj, Haridwar, and at-home
• Online puja support for NRI devotees
• Complete puja samagri and guidance as per family gotra and traditions

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✨ Conclusion

Pitru Paksha is not just a ritual—it is a bridge between past and present, a way of honoring the roots from which we come. By performing Shraddha and Tarpan with sincerity, you invite blessings of your ancestors for peace, prosperity, and spiritual progress.