Every year, millions of Hindus celebrate a pious period known as Pitru Paksha, during which people perform religious ceremonies and offerings for dead ancestors. There is high spiritual significance to this ancient tradition in the Hindu culture, as it unites families to acknowledge their gratitude and seek the blessings of their forefathers.
Pitru Paksha Date & Timings in 2025
When is Pitru Paksha 2025? The day of obligation falls on Sunday, September 7, 2025, and the last day of observance is on Sunday, September 21, 2025.
Key Dates and Timings:
- Start Date: Sunday (7/09/2025) – Bhadrapada Shukla Purnima
- End Date: Sunday (21/09/2025) – Sarva Pitru Amavasya
- Duration: 15 days
- Kutup Muhurat: The Kutup Muhurat is scheduled to take place on September 21, 2025, between the hours of 11:47 AM and 12:37 PM as scheduled.
- Tarpan Time: 12:00 PM – 12:50 PM
- Dwadasi End Moment: 1:39 PM to 4:09 PM
What is Pitru Paksha?
Pitru Paksha 2025, a 15-day lunar period during which Hindus perform rituals honoring their ancestors known as Shradh. Pitru means the ancestors, and Paksha is the fortnight. The pious day is the time when ancestors’ souls visit their homes to accept offerings from their progeny.
Why is Pitru Paksha Celebrated?
According to Hindu scriptures each of the human is born with three types of debts to be paid off to Gods (Dev), Sages (Rishi), and Ancestors (Pitru). Pitru Paksha marks an opportunity for devotees to repay the debt to their ancestors as they seek their blessings for wealth, health, children, and salvation.
The celebration serves multiple purposes:
- Expressing gratitude to departed souls
- Casting, ancestral blessings for the welfare of the family
- Connecting to ancestors and their memories
- Self-purification through the acts of charity
Importance of Pitru Paksha: What is Pitru Paksha?
Pitru Paksha is considered very auspicious and sacred in Hindu culture. As per the texts, the Shradh rites performed during this time help all our ancestors’ souls get peace and salvation. It is said that the foods we offer during Pitru Paksha 2025 reach dead souls directly and it also aid them in their spiritual path.
ISKCON Kurukshetra observes this day specially with elaborate ceremonies for our own ancestors and their relationship with the universal spiritual masters in the Vedic tradition.
How to Perform Shradh in Pitru Paksha?
Pitru Paksha Puja Vidhi:
Preparation Phase:
- Take a bath first thing in the morning to give yourself a chance to get ready.
- Wear clean and, if possible, white or light clothes
- Prepare a clean area for the ritual
- You’ll want to have handy: rice, sesame seeds, water, and flowers
Main Ritual Steps:
- Start with prayers to Lord Ganapati in the following way
- Invoke the presence of ancestors
- The water should be offered to the Pitrus whilst reciting some Mantras
- Present food offerings (Pind Daan)
- Gift to the Brahmin or the needy
- Food for animals, especially cows and crows
How do You Perform Pitru Paksha Vrat at Home?
Celebrating Pitru Paksha at home is demanding, and preparation is essential. It is recommended that followers maintain a sattvic way of living during this period and abstain from non-vegetarian food and alcohol, and control negative thoughts.
Essential Guidelines:
- Offer prayers daily to ancestors
- Cook classics like kheer and puris
- Donate clothes, food, and your money to the poor
- Do not buy new things or perform any blessings
- Keep the mind and body clean
Pitru Paksha Muhurat for the Specific Rituals
The best time to perform Shradh is the Pitru Paksha Muhurat. On September 21, 2025, the Kutup Muhurat will be from 11:47 AM to 12:37 PM, which is the Sabva Pitru Amavasya. During the specified time, a candidate is allowed to do Pitru Tarpan.
What is the Pitru Paksha Mantra?
Pitru Paksha Mantra: The Spiritual Base of every ritual. The mantra that is usually used is:
- “Om Pitru Devatabhyo Namaha” (Reverence for the venerated forebears of the past)
- The other potent mantra is: “Pitru Loka Nivasibhyo Namaha” (Homage to those living in the ancestral world)
Pitru Paksha Vrat Katha and Religious Tales
The Pitru Paksha Vrat Katha contains old Kathas that tell tales of the relevance of the expressions of the ancestors. These legends also exemplify that doing Shradh lovingly leads to riches, removal of all obstacles, and togetherness of a family.
ISKCON Kurukshetra’s Special Arrangements
ISKCON Kurukshetra is organizing special programs for the devotees to offer and perform Vedic colorful Hindu rituals with an expert guidance. The temple provides:
- Guided Shradh ceremonies
- Pitru Paksha aarti sessions
- Educational programs about ancestral worship
- Community feasts for spiritual purification
- Expert consultation on ritual procedures
Conclusion
Pitru Paksha 2025 is an auspicious time to worship ancestors, honor family ties and build spiritual ties. Whether in home or as a guest in Kurukshetra ISKCON, this time always starkly reminds us how we are in debt to the ancestors. By repeating these ancient refutation texts meticulously in recitation, we broadcast indefinitely to the future generation of spiritual words and aspirations that we have inherited from our forebears in order to protect and prolong.
Whatever you choose to do, remember that this fortnight isn’t simply about rituals — it’s about appreciation, it’s about remembering, and it’s about never for a second allowing that sacred string that stretches across the generations in our pursuit of the spirituality to unravel for even a moment.
