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In Sanatan Hindu religion, the period of Pitru Paksha (Pitru Paksha 2026) or Mahalaya is considered to be the most sacred and spiritual time to express gratitude towards our ancestors, forefathers and great-grandfathers. During these 16 days starting from Bhadrapada Purnima and ending with Ashwin Amavasya, souls from the ancestral world come to the homes of their relatives to receive food and offerings in portion form. There is a religious belief that if Pind Daan, Shraddha and Tarpan are performed as per the rituals during these days, then the souls of the ancestors get peace and their blessings always remain on the entire family. However, some strict rules and taboos have also been mentioned in the scriptures during these 16 days, which are very important for every family to follow. Through this article, we are going to tell you in detail what tasks should be done during Pitru Paksha and which mistakes should not be repeated even by mistake so that Pitru Dosh can be avoided.
Spiritual importance of Pitru Paksha and the law of satisfaction of ancestors
According to Hindu mythology, ancestral debt is considered to be the most important debt in human life, without repaying which no person’s life is considered completely successful. These 16 days of Pitru Paksha are the time of the year when Yamraj allows all living beings to remember their ancestors and offer Pind Daan and Brahmin food for them. During this period, the rituals performed as per the rituals satisfy the ancestors, due to which they provide blessings of happiness, prosperity, health and progeny growth to their descendants. This is the reason why people across the country perform the Shraddha rituals of their ancestors in Gaya, Haridwar, Prayagraj or by staying at their homes during these days with full devotion.
What to do during Pitru Paksha 2026: Follow these rules
During these 16 days every family must follow certain religious and traditional rules. First of all, after taking bath every morning, one should meditate on one’s ancestors and face south and offer tarpan by mixing black sesame, barley, kush and flowers in water. Apart from this, while preparing food, the first roti should always be taken out for the cow, the second roti for the dog and the third roti for the crow, because these are considered the messengers or representatives of the ancestors. During these days of Pitru Paksha, food, clothes and charity should be given to Brahmins, needy and poor as per their capacity, due to which the ancestors become extremely happy and there is never any shortage of food and money in the family.
Do not do this work even by mistake during Pitru Paksha, otherwise you may have to face trouble.
According to the scriptures, during Pitru Paksha, some such activities are considered completely prohibited, doing which disrespects the ancestors and the shadow of negative energy starts looming over the family. During these 16 days, one should not purchase any new clothes, jewellery, vehicle or property in the house nor should any new auspicious function like marriage, house warming or Mundan Sanskar be organised. Apart from this, cutting of hair, beard and nails should also be avoided during these days, because this is not a period of enjoyment but of mourning, restraint and simplicity. Special care should also be taken in the matter of food and one should not consume garlic, onion, meat, alcohol and tamasic food during these days.
Peace at home, virtuous conduct and remedies to get rid of Pitra Dosh
This entire fortnight of Pitru Paksha not only teaches us the lessons of worship, but also teaches us the lesson of our family values and respect for our elders. During these days, one should avoid insulting the elders of the house or causing them any kind of mental pain, because the blessings of the ancestors never remain in the house where the parents or elders are sad. In the evening, a mustard oil lamp must be lit in the south direction of the house, which is called the lamp of ancestors. If there is Pitra Dosh in the horoscope of a person, then by reciting Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta daily, doing tarpan and serving the poor during these 16 days, the effect of that dosh gets reduced to a great extent and all the obstacles coming in life are removed.