Pitru Paksha 2024: Dates, Timings and Significance

Meaning and Scriptural Basis

"Pitru" refers to ancestors and "Paksha" means a lunar fortnight. Hindu scriptures describe Shraddh as any ritual performed for one's ancestors with proper devotion, sesame seeds, Kusha grass, and sacred mantras. The Markandeya Purana states:

आयुः प्रजां धनं विद्यां स्वर्गं मोक्षं सुखानि च।
प्रयच्छन्ति तथा राज्यं पितरः श्राद्धतर्पितः॥

Meaning: when pleased through Shraddh, one's ancestors bestow long life, progeny, wealth, knowledge, happiness, and ultimately liberation upon the performer.

Why Some Years Have a Combined Tithi Day

Pitru Paksha runs across 15 lunar tithis, from Purnima to Amavasya. Because lunar days don't align exactly with solar days, some years see a tithi "compress" so that two tithis fall within a single calendar day - this is called a tithi Kshaya. The table above automatically combines any such days for 2024.

Kutup, Rohina and Aparahna Kaal

Shraddh rituals are traditionally performed as Parvan Shraddha, ideally within three windows: Kutup Muhurat (roughly late mid-morning), Rohina Muhurat (immediately following Kutup), and Aparahna Kaal (the early afternoon period). These windows are calculated from each day's precise sunrise and sunset, so confirm the exact time for your location and date via your daily Panchang rather than relying on a single fixed clock time across all tithis.