Mahalaya Amavasya 2026
Mahalaya Amavasya 2026 is on Saturday, 10 October 2026. Puja time · Aparahna (afternoon) in New Delhi: 13:17 to 15:37. The tithi runs from 21:36, 9 October 2026 to 21:19, 10 October 2026.
Mahalaya Amavasya 2026 date and puja time in major cities
| City | Date | Puja time · Aparahna (afternoon) |
|---|---|---|
| New Delhi | Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 13:17 – 15:37 |
| Mumbai | Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 13:36 – 15:57 |
| Ahmedabad | Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 13:37 – 15:57 |
| Kolkata | Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 12:33 – 14:54 |
| Chennai | Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 13:07 – 15:30 |
| Bengaluru | Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 13:18 – 15:40 |
| Hyderabad | Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 13:14 – 15:36 |
| Varanasi | Saturday, 10 October 2026 | 12:55 – 15:15 |
About Mahalaya Amavasya
Pitri Paksha is a 16-lunar day period in the Hindu calendar when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors, especially through food offerings. The period is also known as Pitarpas, Pitru Paksha/Pitr-Paksha, Pitri Pokkho, Sorah Shraddha, Kanagat, Jitiya, Mahalaya, Apara Paksha and akhadpak. Pitri Paksha is considered by Hindus to be inauspicious, given the death rite performed during the ceremony, known as Shraddha or Tarpana.
Legend
In Hinduism, the souls of three preceding generations of one's ancestors reside in Pitriloka, a realm between heaven and earth. This realm is governed by Yama, the god of death, who takes the soul of a dying man from earth to Pitriloka. Only those three generations are given Shraddha rites, in which Yama plays a significant role. In Pitri Paksha, prayers are offered to bring upon moksha, both for the ancestors and for those performing the rituals. According to Swami Sivananda, Pitri Paksha increases the enjoyment of souls remaining in heaven before undergoing samsara or rebirth, or mitigates the suffering of those in other worlds; in the case those souls took another birth immediately after their deaths, Shraddha adds to their happiness in their new birth. According to the sacred Hindu epics, at the beginning of Pitri Paksha, the sun enters the zodiac sign of Virgo.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), shortened.
Questions people ask
When is Mahalaya Amavasya in 2026?
Mahalaya Amavasya is on Saturday, 10 October 2026 (New Delhi). In some regions the date can be a day apart; see the table above for your city.
What is the puja time for Mahalaya Amavasya 2026?
In New Delhi it is 13:17 to 15:37, during Aparahna (afternoon) when the festival's tithi is running.
Why is Mahalaya Amavasya celebrated?
Pitri Paksha is a 16-lunar day period in the Hindu calendar when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors, especially through food offerings. The period is also known as Pitarpas, Pitru Paksha/Pitr-Paksha, Pitri Pokkho, Sorah Shraddha, Kanagat, Jitiya, Mahalaya, Apara Paksha and akhadpak.
Other years: Mahalaya Amavasya 2027
Updated: 2026-10-18 · Calculated for the place shown, with Lahiri ayanamsha. How we calculate