Pitru Paksha Shradh 2020 important dates: Know the significant date and other details

Pitru Paksha Shradh 2020 important dates: Know the significant date and other details

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Pitru Paksha Shradh 2020 important dates: The Pitru Paksha starts on Full Moon day (Purnima), also called Poonam or Pournami (in Tamil). Read on to know the Pitru Paksha Shradh start and end dates

The Pitru Paksha in the Hindu calendar is a period when people pay homage to their deceased ancestors by performing Shradh and Tarpanam rituals. As per the Amavasyant calendar, Pitru Paksha falls in the month of Bhadrapada, Krishna Paksha and those who follow the Purnimant calendar will observe it in the month of Ashwin. Interestingly, only the names of the months differ, but the date remains the same. The Pitru Paksha starts on the day of the Full Moon day (Purnima), also called Poonam or Pournami in Tamil. Read on to know the Pitru Paksha Shradh start and end dates in 2020, the importance and other details.

Pitru Paksha significance

The Pitru Paksha commences either on the Full Moon day or the day after. It marks the beginning of the waning phase of the Lunar cycle. It is a 16-day period of great significance in the Hindu calendar because, during the Pitru Paksha, people perform Tarpanam and Shradh rituals to pay respects to their dead relatives/ ancestors.

It is said that the dissatisfied souls of the deceased return to the Earth to see their family members. Therefore, to ensure that they attain Moksha and get liberated, people quench their thirst and satisfy their hunger by doing the Pind Daan (a method of offering food consisting of cooked rice and black sesame seeds). The Pind Daan refers to the ritual of appeasing those who are dead. Prayers are offered, and rituals are performed to help the souls calm and get relieved from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

The Pitru Paksha is also a significant period for people with Pitru Dosha or the curse of the ancestors. Thus, people perform Shradha rituals and offer food to crows (that are believed to be the representatives of the dead). By accepting the food provided by people, the crow suggests that the ancestors are pleased. However, if it refuses to have the food offered, then it indicates that the dead are displeased.