Amavasya in May 2026

What is Amavasya?

Amavasya is the new-moon night, the fifteenth and final tithi of the Krishna (waning) paksha, when the Sun and Moon share the same longitude and the Moon is not visible in the sky. Because it marks the close of one lunar fortnight, Amavasya recurs once in every lunar month, giving roughly twelve to thirteen Amavasyas across the year. The dark, still night has long been held as a time for reflection, remembrance and quiet inner practice rather than outward celebration.

Amavasya and the lunar month

In the Amanta system followed across much of southern and western India, each lunar month ends on Amavasya, so the new moon opens the next named month. In the Purnimanta system of the north, months instead end on Purnima. This is why the same day can carry different month-names in different regions. The month takes its name from the nakshatra in which the full moon falls, and Amavasya sits at the joint where one month gives way to the next.

Amavasya and the ancestors

Amavasya is the traditional day set aside for pitru rites — Shraddha, Tarpan and Pind Daan — through which families remember and honour their departed forebears with gratitude. The monthly observance is known as Darsha Amavasya, kept as a day of ancestral shraddha. In tradition these offerings are acts of love, respect and continuity between generations, a way of keeping the memory of parents and elders alive rather than a matter of dread or obligation born of fear.

The special Amavasyas

Some Amavasyas hold particular meaning. Mauni Amavasya in Magha is observed with silence and a holy bath. Somvati Amavasya, when the new moon falls on a Monday, is cherished by married women, who traditionally honour the Peepal tree and pray for their husband's long life; a Tuesday new moon is Bhaumvati and a Saturday one Shani Amavasya. Mahalaya Amavasya closes Pitru Paksha as the foremost shraddha day, and Kartik Amavasya is Diwali, celebrated with Lakshmi Puja.

What is done on Amavasya

Customary observances centre on simplicity and reflection. Many take a holy bath (snan) in a river or sacred water at dawn, offer daan (charity) to those in need, and perform pitru tarpan for the ancestors. Some keep a fast, while others turn to meditation and mantra. The dark, quiet night is traditionally regarded as suited to inner sadhana and spiritual practice — a pause in the lunar cycle for stillness, remembrance and renewal before the waxing moon returns.

Pitru Tarpan on Amavasya

Amavasya — especially Darsha Amavasya and Mahalaya (Sarva Pitru) Amavasya — is the traditional day to remember departed ancestors through Tarpan and Shraddha. Tarpan is the offering of water mixed with black sesame (til), performed facing south, with the sacred thread worn over the right shoulder (apasavya), while remembering one's forebears with gratitude. Many families also offer food to crows, cows, dogs and Brahmins as part of the rite, and give daan (charity) to those in need. In tradition, the observance is an act of love, remembrance and repaying pitru-rin — the debt we owe our ancestors — a way of keeping the family line's memory alive, not a ritual done out of dread. Practices vary by family, region and lineage.

Tarpan Samagri

Traditional families keep a few simple items ready before beginning Tarpan:

• Black sesame seeds (til)
• Clean water in a kalash or lota
• Kush (darbha) grass
• Barley (jau)
• White flowers
• Raw cow's milk
• A pinda of rice and barley flour (for pind daan)
• Food portions for crow, cow and dog