Overview

• Sarva Pitru (Mahalaya) Amavasya falls on Sunday, September 21, with the Amavasya tithi from 12:16 AM Sep 21 to 1:23 AM Sep 22 and main Shraddha muhurats from 11:50 AM to 3:53 PM.
• Those who have not performed Shraddha are urged to do so on this day, treated as the final opportunity when a forebear’s death date is unknown.
• Prescribed observances include Tarpan with Kusha grass, Shraddha with Pind Daan and food offerings, charity of food or white clothes and water, Panchbali portions to a cow, crow, dog and Brahmins, and an evening mustard‑oil lamp lit facing south.
• A Haridwar scholar recommends reciting Bhagavad Gita chapter 11 on Trayodashi, Chaturdashi and Amavasya—especially on Pitru Visarjan Amavasya—a practice devotees believe brings Lord Vishnu’s blessings for ancestors.
• Gaya in Bihar is highlighted as a prime site for Pind Daan, with Panda priests assisting pilgrims at Vishnupad Temple and the Falgu ghats throughout the fortnight.