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Shraddha Tithi Calculator | Annual Rites Date

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The Shraddha Tithi Calculator computes the tithi at the time of death from the death date (and optionally time), then locates that same tithi during Pitru Paksha (Mahalaya fortnight) or the corresponding monthly Amavasya — the traditional days for tarpanam and annual shraddha rites.

Last updated: September 2026 · Free · No sign-up required

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Quick reference

Pitru Paksha 2026 (approx.): 25 Sep – 9 Oct, ending on Mahalaya Amavasya. Sarva pitru amavasya serves ancestors of unknown tithi.

public Location matters

Tithi and nakshatra boundaries depend on where you are — enter your city's coordinates for precise results.

schedule Ayanamsa

Calculations use the Lahiri (Chitrapaksha) ayanamsa, the standard for Vedic charts.

menu_book Panchang basis

Results follow drik-panchang style astronomical computation, not printed-table approximation.

school Traditions differ

Some regions use Surya Siddhanta conventions; where traditions conflict, your family panchang wins.

lightbulb A real example — death on Krishna Panchami

A family knows from the death panchang that their father passed during Krishna Panchami (the 5th tithi of the waning fortnight). They need the 2026 annual shraddha date.

Result: The calculator maps the death tithi onto Pitru Paksha 2026 (the waning fortnight of Bhadrapada/Ashwin, ending with Mahalaya Amavasya in late September 2026): the annual rite falls on the Krishna Panchami of that fortnight. If that year's Panchami is kshaya — compressed so it never touches sunrise — the rite moves to the previous civil date carrying the tithi, which the calculator flags explicitly rather than silently shifting it.

What this means: Two special cases the tool handles: when the exact death tithi is unknown, Mahalaya Amavasya serves as the universal shraddha day for all ancestors; and deaths on Chaturdashi follow their own convention in many traditions — Chaturdashi shraddha being reserved in some lineages for those who died by weapons or accidents, with others observing it on Amavasya — so the calculator reports the tithi mapping and notes where family custom decides.

Formula & methodology

Formula: Tithi = ⌊(Moon−Sun elongation) ÷ 12°⌋; Nakshatra = ⌊Moon longitude ÷ 13°20'⌋; Vimshottari lord sequence Ketu→Venus→Sun→Moon→Mars→Rahu→Jupiter→Saturn→Mercury

How the shraddha date is fixed

The rite follows the tithi, not the civil date. The calculator first derives the tithi prevailing at the death moment from the death date (and time, if given): the Moon–Sun elongation band — for example 48°–60° for Krishna Panchami. It then scans the target year's Pitru Paksha, the waning fortnight of Bhadrapada/Ashwin, for the same tithi, which becomes the annual shraddha day.

Tithi lengths vary (roughly 19–26 hours), so two edge cases are handled explicitly: a kshaya (short) tithi that never spans a sunrise pushes the rite to the previous day carrying it, and a vriddhi (long) tithi spanning two sunrises is resolved to the conventional day. When the death tithi is unknown, the calculator points to Mahalaya Amavasya, the fortnight's final day, which traditionally covers all ancestors.

Frequently asked questions

How is the annual shraddha date fixed?
By the death tithi: the same tithi (not date) in the waning fortnight — most importantly during Pitru Paksha — is the annual rite day.
What if the tithi is short that year?
When the tithi is compressed (kshaya), the rites move to the previous day carrying the tithi; panchang flags like this are exactly why the calculator checks windows, not just dates.
Can shraddha be done on Amavasya instead?
Monthly tarpanam falls on each Amavasya, but the annual shraddha follows the death tithi; when unknown, Mahalaya Amavasya serves all ancestors.
Who performs shraddha?
Traditionally the eldest son (or a designated male relative) performs the rite with a purohit, offering pinda and water with sesame.

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