Pitru Paksha is currently underway, running from September 26 to October 10 this year. During this sacred period, people perform Shraddha to attain peace for the souls of their ancestors by conducting pindadana, tarpan, and dana-punya in their memory.
A frequent question arises as to whether Shraddha should be performed for young or unborn children. According to the Gurda Purana, Shraddha rituals are divided into three categories depending on age.
Firstly, traditional Shraddha is not performed for unborn children, meaning if the child died during pregnancy. Shraddha is also not performed for children who died within two years of birth.
Secondly, if a child dies between the ages of 2 and 6 years, the traditional Shraddha is also not applied. However, in this case, it is recommended to perform the ritual according to the Malanishodashi tradition. Rituals such as pindadana and others should only be conducted after the child reaches the age of six.
According to the Gurda Purana, Malanishodashi Kriya is performed after the death of children aged two to six years. This process lasts about ten days and is known as Dashagatra. Within this procedure, a total of 16 pindas are offered to liberate the state of preta and form the body. Six pindas are offered from the time of death until the funeral rites and bone collection, after which the Dashagatra Kriya begins.
Dashagatra Kriya involves offering one pinda daily for the ten days following the day of death. These pindas are made from a mixture of barley flour or rice, black cumin, milk, ghee, and honey.
The schedule for performing Shraddha during Pitru Paksha 2026 is as follows: Shraddha on Purnima falls on September 26, 2026 (Saturday), and on Pratipada Tithi—September 27, 2026 (Sunday). Shraddha on Dwitiya will take place on September 28, 2026 (Monday), and on Tritiya—September 29, 2026 (Tuesday).
Shraddha on Chaturthi and Panchami is scheduled for September 30, 2026 (Wednesday), and on Shashti Tithi—October 1, 2026 (Thursday). The seventh day of Shraddha falls on October 2, 2026 (Friday), and the eighth on October 3, 2026 (Saturday).
Shraddha on Navami will be held on October 4, 2026 (Sunday), and on Dashami Tithi—October 5, 2026 (Monday). Ekadashi Tithi is October 6, 2026 (Tuesday), and Dwadashi Tithi and Magha Tithi are October 7, 2026 (Wednesday).
The thirteenth day of Shraddha is set for October 8, 2026 (Thursday), the fourteenth for October 9, 2026 (Friday). Sarvipitru Amavasya, the last day of ancestor worship, will take place on October 10, 2026 (Saturday).