Amavasya

The new-moon day of every lunar month, kept for the pitru — the ancestors — with snan, daan and tarpan. The day begins with a bath at sunrise and remembrance of one's forefathers with water and black til, followed by giving according to capacity; in the evening a lamp is lit near the tulsi and another at the doorstep. When the tithi falls on a Monday it is Somvati Amavasya, on a Tuesday Bhaumvati, and on a Saturday Shani Amavasya, each carrying its own added observance. Kartik Amavasya is Diwali itself, when the same dark night belongs to Lakshmi.

Next date: 2026-09-11

vidhi

Bathe at sunrise — in a river or sarovar where possible, otherwise at home with a few drops of Ganga jal added to the water — and remember your ancestors as you bathe.,Offer tarpan facing south: take water, black til and a little kusha in a copper vessel and pour it three times, letting the water fall over the base of the thumb, naming your father's and mother's lines.,Give daan according to capacity — anna, til, clothes or money — into hands that need it; on this tithi the giving matters more than the amount.,Water the pipal tree at its root with water, milk and black til mixed together, and take a parikrama of the tree where it is accessible.,Set aside a portion of the day's food for the cow, the crow and the dog before you eat yourself.,Chant Om Pitribhyah Namah one hundred and eight times, sitting quietly after the tarpan or in the evening.,At dusk, light a ghee or mustard-oil lamp near the tulsi, and place another at the doorstep facing south for the pitru.,Keep the day simple and sattvic — one meal or phalahar if you are keeping the fast, and quiet remembrance in place of celebration.

katha

When Karna died and rose to the higher world, he was given a place of honour — and gold everywhere he turned, but no food. He asked why, and was told plainly: in life he had given gold without measure, but never food or water in the name of his ancestors, and a man receives there only what he has offered here. Karna answered that he had never known his ancestors. So he was allowed to return to earth for a spell of days, and he fed the hungry and poured water with til for the pitru; when he went back, food awaited him. From this comes the belief that on Amavasya the ancestors come near — to the doorstep, in the crow, in whoever arrives hungry — and that whatever is given that day in their name reaches them. Some Amavasyas carry an added observance by the weekday alone. On Somvati (Monday), women water the pipal and take its parikrama, often praying for the husband's long life. Bhaumvati (Tuesday) is kept with Hanuman smaran, and Shani Amavasya (Saturday) with til and oil offered to Shani — a day of remedy, not of dread.

mantra

[object Object]

samagri

Black til (sesame) and kusha grass for the tarpan,A copper lota or vessel, and Ganga jal for the bath and tarpan,Water and a little raw milk for the pipal tree,Ghee or mustard-oil lamps with cotton wicks, for the tulsi and the doorstep,Anna, til, clothes or money for daan, according to capacity,A portion of cooked food for the cow, the crow and the dog,Flowers, akshat and chandan for the simple pujan

Upcoming dates

Today's panchang · Aaj ka rashifal