09/10/2026
🪔🙏 SARVA PITRU AMAVASYA | सर्वपितृ अमावस्या 🙏🪔
10 October 2026 | Honouring All Our Ancestors
🌿 Remembering our roots. Honouring our ancestors. Seeking their blessings.
As Pitru Paksha draws to a close, Hindus observe Sarva Pitru Amavasya, also known as Mahalaya Amavasya or Pitru Moksha Amavasya.
This sacred day is dedicated to remembering and expressing gratitude to all our ancestors — our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and generations whose names may have faded from memory, but whose legacy lives on through us.
🪔 WHY IS SARVA PITRU AMAVASYA SIGNIFICANT?
In Hindu philosophy, we recognise Pitru Rin — our sacred debt to our ancestors.
Our lives are gifts of generations who came before us. Our family traditions, values, culture, opportunities and even the sacrifices that made our present possible are part of their enduring legacy.
We are not merely individuals living in the present; we are links in an unbroken chain of generations.
🙏 Why is this day called Sarva Pitru Amavasya?
The word Sarva means all. While Shraddha is generally performed on the lunar date corresponding to an ancestor's passing, this Amavasya holds special significance for remembering all departed ancestors, particularly when their exact death tithi is unknown or the appropriate Shraddha could not be performed earlier during Pitru Paksha.
According to Hindu tradition, offerings made with Shraddha — faith, sincerity and reverence — help honour our ancestors and seek their blessings.
🌊 TARPAN: AN OFFERING OF GRATITUDE
Traditionally, devotees offer water, often with black sesame seeds, while remembering their ancestors. Families may also perform Shraddha, offer food, feed those in need and undertake charitable acts in their ancestors' memory.
These rituals are more than ceremonial gestures. They express a timeless sentiment:
“We remember you. We are grateful for you. Your legacy continues through us.”
🕉️ A MANTRA FOR PITRU ASHIRVAD
🙏 Chant this simple mantra with devotion while remembering your ancestors:
«ॐ पितृभ्यो नमः॥
ॐ पितृभ्यः स्वधायै नमः॥»
Om Pitribhyo Namah.
Salutations to our revered ancestors.
And offer this heartfelt prayer:
«सर्वे पितरः शान्तिं यान्तु,
सर्वे पितरः प्रसन्नाः सन्तु।
पितॄणामाशीर्वादेन,
कुले कल्याणमस्तु सदा॥»
May all our ancestors abide in peace.
May our revered Pitrs be honoured with devotion.
Through their blessings, may our families always prosper in harmony, wisdom and wellbeing.
Note: The above Sanskrit prayer is a devotional composition, rather than a quotation from a specific scripture.
🌺 HOW CAN WE HONOUR OUR ANCESTORS?
🪔 Remember departed family members with gratitude and offer prayers according to your family tradition.
🌊 Perform Tarpan or Shraddha if customary in your family.
🍚 Offer food or donate to those in need in memory of your ancestors.
🐄 Practise kindness towards all living beings.
❤️ Share family stories with the younger generation so that the sacrifices, values and memories of our ancestors are never forgotten.
🙏 A THOUGHT TO REFLECT UPON
One day, we too will become ancestors in the memories of future generations.
What values will we leave behind? What kindness will people remember? What legacy will continue through our children and grandchildren?
The greatest tribute to our ancestors is not only to remember their names, but also to live by the values they taught us.
On this Sarva Pitru Amavasya, may our prayers be an expression of gratitude, our actions reflect our values, and our families remain connected to their roots.
🪔 May our Pitrs be at peace. May their blessings guide future generations. May every family be blessed with harmony, wisdom, health and prosperity.
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥ 🙏
🌿 श्रद्धया स्मरामः। भक्त्या तर्पयामः। कृतज्ञतया नमनामः। 🌿
We remember with reverence, offer with devotion, and bow with gratitude.
