Overview
- Pitru Paksha, which runs from Sept. 27 to Oct. 10, is a 15-day period when Hindus honour ancestors through Shraddha, Tarpan and Pinda Daan according to Panchang calculations.
- Public observances have started with large numbers of devotees gathering for tarpans at pilgrimage sites such as Gayakotha and Siddhavat in Ujjain and similar ghats, where people queued to offer water and sesame.
- Some homebuyers and sellers are pausing non-urgent property deals during the period, with Mumbai participants reporting deferred negotiations and developers describing the effect as a short, sentiment-driven pause that often reverses after the festival season.
- Coverage shows a running debate: some astrologers point to 2026 planetary placements and recommend remedies like charity and caring for elders, while several scholars say core Hindu scriptures do not prescribe broad prohibitions during this time.
- Practical guidance stresses regional variation in muhurats and tithis, advises consulting a local panchang or priest for exact timings, and notes Oct. 10 is Sarva Pitru Amavasya when collective Shraddha is performed if an ancestor’s death tithi is unknown.