Shraddh Tithi Calculator - Find the Shraddh & Pitru Paksha Date
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Frequently asked questions about Shraddh Tithi
Why is Shraddh done on the tithi rather than the date of death?
Because the Hindu ritual calendar is lunar. The rite is offered on the lunar day the person passed, and since the lunar year is about eleven days shorter than the solar one, that tithi falls on a different English date each year. Following the calendar date instead would gradually drift away from the correct lunar day.
What if the tithi at the time of death spanned two days?
That is common, since a tithi can run 19 to 26 hours and rarely lines up with a calendar day. The usual rule is to take the tithi that was current at the moment of passing, and to perform the rite on the day when that tithi is present at the prescribed time - typically the midday Aparahna period. A family priest will settle the specific case.
We do not know the tithi. What do we do?
Observe Sarvapitri Amavasya, the final day of Pitru Paksha, also called Mahalaya Amavasya. It is set aside precisely for ancestors whose tithi is unknown or missed, and for all ancestors collectively. It is a complete and accepted observance, not a lesser substitute.
Why does the result show two different lunar months?
Because India uses two conventions for where a month begins. Purnimanta months, common in north India, end at the full moon; Amanta months, common in the south and west, end at the new moon. The same tithi can therefore carry two month names. Follow whichever your family tradition uses - the tithi itself is identical either way.
Are the dates shown for my own timezone?
They are calculated for India and shown in IST, since that is where the observance is normally timed from. If you live elsewhere, confirm the local day with your priest, because a tithi that runs into the small hours in India may fall on the neighbouring date where you are. This page finds the ancestral tithi for the rite; your own birth lunar day is the Janma Tithi calculator, and all five limbs together are the Janma Panchang. The thousandth full-moon milestone is a different lunar count, on Sahasra Chandra Darshan.
Is this the same as monthly Amavasya tarpan?
No. This page is the annual Shraddh on an ancestor's own death tithi, plus the Pitru Paksha fortnight that ends on Mahalaya Amavasya. Monthly Darsha Shraddha - every new-moon day in the year for pitru tarpan - is a different list, on the Amavasya Shraddha calculator, and it is read from a birth chart rather than a date of passing.
About Shraddh Tithi
Shraddh (Śrāddha) is the rite Hindus perform to honour departed ancestors (Pitru). It is offered each year on the tithi - the lunar day - on which the person passed away, rather than on the English calendar date, because the Hindu calendar follows the Moon. This calculator names that death tithi (paksha and lunar day), the lunar month in both Purnimanta and Amanta reckoning, the weekday, and the upcoming Pitru Paksha dates when that tithi returns.
Pitru Paksha is the fortnight from Bhadrapada Purnima to Ashwin Amavasya set aside for ancestor rites. Families perform Shraddh on the day that matches the ancestor's death tithi. If the tithi is not known, Sarvapitri (Mahalaya) Amavasya, the last day, is observed for all ancestors. Dates are calculated from the sidereal Sun and Moon (Lahiri ayanamsa) and shown for India (IST). Regional custom - Amanta versus Purnimanta, and whether a tithi is taken at sunrise or at the time of death - can still shift the observed day, so confirm with your family priest.
Enter the date, time and place of passing as accurately as you have them. A missing time can still yield a tithi if the day is known, but a boundary tithi is sensitive to the hour. This page is a calendar aid. It is not a medical or legal document, and it does not replace the vidhi your priest uses for Pinda or Tarpan.
The tool is free. You can share the result or save a PDF. For the day's full almanac see the daily Panchang. For monthly new-moon tarpan dates from a birth chart, not this Pitru Paksha window, use the Amavasya Shraddha calculator. For other ancestor-related observances in the year, use the regional calendars. Editorial pages are reviewed by Astro Arpita Nath.
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