Amavasya

Amavasya is the most potent day for ancestor (Pitru) rituals. The Moon's invisible phase represents the veil between the living and the departed being thinnest. The Garuda Purana and Vishnu Purana both describe Amavasya as the day when ancestors are closest to the earthly plane — ready to receive offerings and bless their descendants. The water offered during Tarpan reaches the departed through the Moon's gravitational channel. Solar and lunar eclipses also occur on Amavasya (solar) or Purnima (lunar), amplifying its cosmic significance.

1. 1Wake at dawn; bathe in a river or take a ritual bath at home
2. 2Face south (direction of ancestors and Yama) while performing Tarpan
3. 3Offer water mixed with black sesame seeds and barley, reciting the ancestral lineage
4. 4Standard Tarpan mantra: "Om [Grandfather's name] triptatamastu" (repeated for each ancestor)
5. 5Offer cow's milk, white flowers, and rice balls (pinda) to a brahmin or directly into running water
6. 6Donate food, clothes, or money in the name of departed ancestors