Recurring observance · San Francisco Bay Area
Ancestor rites
Why it matters
Part of the annual ancestor-remembrance period, this observance gives families an opportunity to express gratitude and perform duties toward departed forebears.
The story behind it
Pitru Paksha traditions teach that remembrance, charity and prescribed śrāddha/tarpana rites honor ancestors and reinforce continuity between generations.
Prayers and worship
Tarpana with water and sesame, śrāddha mantras, pinda offerings and prayers for ancestral peace are common; exact rites depend strongly on family tradition and priestly guidance.
Fasting and devotional customs
Families may invite a priest, feed guests or Brahmins, give charity and maintain a simple sattvic routine. The specific tithi is often chosen according to the ancestor’s lunar death date.
What is typically offered
Water, black sesame, darbha grass, rice or pinda, simple food, lamps and charitable offerings.
Visiting a temple that day
These are usually quiet family rites rather than public festivals. Temple priests may offer scheduled tarpanam or śrāddha services. Temple practices vary by region and sampradaya. Dress modestly, remove footwear where required, follow priest/volunteer directions, ask before photography, and check the temple’s event page for exact pooja, fasting and prasādam arrangements.
Spiritual themes
Gratitude, remembrance, family duty, continuity and compassion.
Every Ancestor rites date, 2026–2027
Bay Area dates
- 26 Sep 2026Ancestor observance
- 27 Sep 2026Ancestor observance
- 28 Sep 2026Ancestor observance
- 29 Sep 2026Ancestor observance
- 30 Sep 2026Ancestor observance
- 30 Sep 2026Ancestor observance
- 1 Oct 2026Ancestor observance
- 2 Oct 2026Ancestor observance
- 3 Oct 2026Ancestor observance
- 4 Oct 2026Ancestor observance
- 5 Oct 2026Ancestor observance
- 6 Oct 2026Ancestor observance
- 7 Oct 2026Ancestor observance
- 8 Oct 2026Ancestor observance
- 8 Oct 2026Ancestor observance
- 9 Oct 2026Ancestor observance
- 9 Oct 2026Major ancestor observance
- 16 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 17 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 18 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 19 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 20 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 20 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 21 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 22 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 23 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 24 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 25 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 25 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 26 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 27 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 27 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 28 Sep 2027Ancestor observance
- 29 Sep 2027Major ancestor observance
- 5 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 6 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 7 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 8 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 8 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 9 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 10 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 11 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 12 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 13 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 14 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 15 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 16 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 16 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 17 Sep 2028Ancestor observance
- 17 Sep 2028Major ancestor observance
Request an ancestral remembrance
Sri Kumar Gurukkal performs Śrāddha, Tarpaṇam and the Pitṛ Pakṣa observances for families remembering their forebears, at your home or at a temple.
Request a poojaFind a loved one’s annual dateOpen the full calendarHe does not perform funeral rites themselves — antyesti, cremation or last rites. For those, your family priest or your temple will guide you.
Every Ancestor rites date in your calendar
Subscribe to just this observance and each date appears in your own calendar app, with a link back here.
Subscribe to Ancestor rites Download .icsBackground reading
- Amāvāsyā and Pūrṇimā — the two ends of the monthAmāvāsyā is the new moon, the moment the Moon catches up with the Sun and the lunar month ends.
These are recurring observances whose dates follow the tithi at a particular moment of the day (sunrise, sunset, moonrise or midnight), computed for the Fremont / Bay Area location. The 2028 dates are computed by this site’s own engine: each śrāddha on the day its tithi occupies the aparāhṇa, the window Dharmasindhu sets for pārvaṇa śrāddha. Held until confirmed with Sri Kumar Gurukkal: Pratipada Shraddha. No 2028 date has been checked against a printed almanac or reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal. Fasting rules and exact windows differ by lineage — please confirm with Sri Kumar Gurukkal or your family priest. How these dates are calculated →