Amavasya Vrat (1969)
Dates and timings for Pune
About the Vrat & Significance
Amavasya Vrat is observed on the new moon day, the night of complete darkness, which marks the end of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha). In Hindu tradition, Amavasya is a highly spiritual day dedicated to ancestor worship (Pitri Puja or Shradh). It is believed that on this day, the gates of the ancestral realm open, and performing rites like Tarpan (offering water and sesame seeds) and observing a fast pacifies the souls of departed ancestors, alleviates Pitru Dosha (ancestral curses), and brings peace, longevity, and prosperity to descendants. Amavasya is also a powerful day for worshipping Lord Shiva or Goddess Kali to dispel negative energies, ward off evil forces, and cleanse one's karmic debts through prayer and charitable deeds.
The ancestor rituals (Tarpan and Shradh) must be performed during the late morning hours (Kutup Kaal or Rohina Kaal, usually between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM), when the sun is high but before afternoon. Feeding birds and animals should be completed before noon. The evening twilight is the best time to light the lamp at the entrance.
- Black sesame seeds (Til) - essential for ancestor offerings
- Barley seeds (Jau) and raw rice
- Kusha grass (Darba grass) to hold during rituals
- Copper vessel (Kalash) containing clean water and gangajal
- White flowers (sacred to ancestors and Lord Shiva)
- Incense sticks and a ghee lamp
- Fresh satvik food (like rice kheer, puris, and pumpkin vegetable) to offer to ancestors and birds
- Pancha-gavya (milk, curd, ghee, cow urine, dung) for purification
- Items for charity (grains, clothes, footwear, or money)
- Wake up before sunrise, clean the house, and take a bath (preferably in a sacred river or by adding gangajal to bath water).
- Offer water (Arghya) to the Sun God (Surya) while chanting the Gayatri Mantra.
- Perform Tarpan for ancestors: Face South, hold water mixed with black sesame seeds, barley, and kusha grass in your hands, and pour it slowly over your thumb into a copper bowl, remembering your departed ancestors.
- Prepare a fresh satvik meal. Offer a portion of this food to the ancestors by placing it on a terrace or clean outer space for crows (crows are considered messengers of the ancestors).
- Feed cows, dogs, and birds, as feeding animals on Amavasya is believed to satisfy ancestral spirits.
- Light a ghee lamp in the home temple and worship Lord Shiva or Lord Vishnu with white flowers and incense.
- Sit in meditation and recite the Pitru Stotra, Vishnu Sahasranama, or Shiva mantras.
- Visit a temple and donate food grains, clothes, or money to priests or the underprivileged.
- Observe a fast or consume only one satvik meal after completing the rituals.
- In the evening, light a mustard oil or ghee lamp near the main entrance of the house facing South to honor the ancestors, and break the fast with simple satvik food.
Yearly Vrat Calendar Dates
| # | Date | Day | Month / Tithi | Auspicious Muhurat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No dates found for this year. | ||||
