Shradh Puja Date & Time, Rituals, Benefits and more

Shradh Puja, also known as Shraddha Pooja or Shraddha Ceremony, is a Hindu ritual performed to pay homage to deceased ancestors. It is a deeply meaningful ritual in Hindu culture, believed to bring peace to the souls of the deceased and aid in their journey to the afterlife.

The Shradh ritual holds an immense role in several Hindu texts, including the Puranas and Smritis, where it is emphasised to provide peace in the afterlife. Offering food, prayers and rituals during Shradh Pooja is considered essential to fulfilling one’s debt to the ancestor, known as Pitru Rin. In 2025, devotees across India are preparing for Shradh Maas 2025 to perform these rituals at home or in temple.

Download YatraDham.Org Android App for more guides and easy booking.

The blog will guide you through Shradh Puja 2025 dates, rituals, significance, how to perform Shradh at home, food offerings and more.

What is Shradh?

Shradh or Shraddha Pooja, is a sacred ritual performed to please and honor our ancestors. The main purpose is to seek their blessings and ensure that their souls rest in peace. The word Shradh comes from “faith” and “devotion,” showing that these rituals should be done sincerely and with respect.

Shradh is also called Pitru Paksha, a special period dedicated to remembering and performing rites for our ancestors.

• Meaning of Shradh Ceremony: It is a way of paying respect to our ancestors and performing rituals to ensure their peace in the afterlife.
• Shradh Rituals: These include offering food to ancestors, performing Tarpan (ritual of water offerings), chanting mantras and performing Pind Daan (offering rice balls for the departed souls).
• Shraddha Karma: These are acts of devotion and rituals done for the ancestors with love and reverence.

Who can Perform Sharadh Puja?

Shradh puja is performed by the deceased’s eldest son or a male member. If no male member is available, any close relatives can perform. Nowadays, a daughter can also perform Shradh Puja if no male member or eldest son is available. In some customs, people hired priests or Brahmins to perform Shradh Pooja on behalf of the family. 

Pitru Paksha Pooja Rituals and Auspicious Time 

Shradh Pooja is typically performed during Pitru Paksha, 16 days in the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada between September and October. There is no specific muharat to perform Sharadh Pooja; you can consult with Pandit ji and perform this pooja at your convenience.

However, Shradha Pooja can also be performed on a specific death anniversary, which is known as Tithi Shradh depending on family customs. 

The Shradh Puja follows a specific series of rituals and steps:

1. Tarpan: Tarpan is an act of offering water mixed with black sesame seeds to the ancestors while chanting mantras. These rituals are performed to help the ancestors attain moksha.
2. Pind Daan: It is the act of offering rice balls mixed with ghee, black sesame seeds, honey, sugar, milk and curd. The offering signifies a gesture of feeding the souls and satisfying the ancestors.
3. Offering Foods: During Shradh, specific food is prepared and offered to the ancestors. The food typically includes dishes that the deceased person enjoyed. It must be satvik food; non-vegetarian food and onion-garlic are avoided during this ritual. 
4. Brahmin Feeding: After the rituals, it is customary to feed Brahmins and offer them alms (Dakshina). The belief is that by feeding Brahmins or priests, the benefits of rituals reach the ancestors. 

Note: The chanting of Pitru Mantras and Gayatri Mantra is considered of special importance during Shradh Pooja. 

Shradh Puja Date 2025 in Details

What happens if Shradh is not performed?

There is a belief among Hindus that if Shardh is not performed, it can lead to Pitru Dosh. Pitru Dosh is said to bring misfortune, family disputes, health issues or other challenges in life, due to which family members cannot live their lives in an ideal manner. 

To get rid of or eliminate Pitru Dosh, family members or individuals should perform Pitru Dosh Nivaran Puja and offer food to crows, cows and dogs during Pitru Paksha.

Puja Samagri for Performing Shradh Puja

The Pooja Samagri required for Shradh Puja are as follows:

• Julpura
• Roli
• Moli
• Akshant
• Chawal
• Ghee
• Back Til
• Naivedya
• Daan
• Kapda
• Kalash
• Coconut
• Supari
• Banana
• Flowers
• Dhoop
• Batti
• Lota
• Bell
• Aashan

How to Perform Shradh Ceremony at Home

Performing Shraddha Pooja at Home is simple if you follow the rituals carefully:

• Clean the Home: Begin by cleaning the puja area.
• Set Up the Pooja: Offer flowers, rice, sesame seeds with water and food items.
• Invoke Ancestors: Priests recite mantras to invite the departed souls.
• Food Offerings for Shradh: Cook simple vegetarian food and offer it to ancestors.
• Perform Tarpan: Sprinkle sesame seeds in the water and offer it to your loved one’s soul while chanting mantras.
• Conclude with Pooja: Light a ghee lamp and pray for the peace of the departed soul.

Types of Shradh Puja

According to Hindu mythology, Shradh should be performed depending on caste traditions; however, normally it is performed between the 11th and 31st days after death.

First Year Shradh Rituals/ First Shradh After Death

The rituals after one year of death are performed as a First Shradh ceremony, and this ceremony is usually conducted by the Hindu priest who is for the funeral. The priest chants mantras and helps family members by offering prayers and food to the departed soul. 

Annual Death Ceremony (Tithi) / Barsi Ceremony

This ritual is done every year on the death anniversary of your loved ones. Family members gather to honor the departed soul by offering food, performing prayers and conducting rituals. It is a way to show respect, remember the loved one and seek blessings for the family.

Online Shradh Puja

YatraDham.Org offers online Shradh Pooja services, and this is a convenient option for people who are unable to perform Shradh Pooja themselves or who live far away from a temple.

Also Read – How to book online puja at YatraDham

Temples Where You Can Perform Shradh Puja

Shradh Puja in Gaya

It is believed to be an apt destination for performing Shradh Pooja. This place is mentioned both in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata as Gayapuri. There are 48 places in Gaya where Pind Daan is performed. 

Shradh Puja in Haridwar

Haridwar is an important place for conducting pooja towards all deities as well as towards our deceased ancestors. The Asthi visarjan and Shradh pooja are religiously performed at Holy Ganges.

Shradh Puja in Nashik

It is believed that Tirpindi Shardh Puja is performed in Nashik to bring peace to the souls of ancestors who have died with unfulfilled desires or without proper rites. This puja includes three Pindis for three generations of ancestors.

Shradh Puja in Badrinath

Badrinath is one of the four Dhams in Hinduism. The devotees prefer Badrinath as very beneficial for rituals like Sharadh, Pind Daan and Tarpan Pooja, as the place is linked to Lord Vishnu.

Benefits of Shradh Pooja

• By performing Shradh Pooja, one can receive the Pitrus blessing to help achieve their dreams without any obstacles.
• The intensity of Pitru Dosh is also reduced.
• Invoking the ancestors’ blessings via Shraddha is said to bring wealth and harmony to the household.
• The ceremony fulfils a sacred obligation to the ancestors, purifying the performer’s soul and elevating their spiritual rank.
• The benefits of satisfied relatives are believed to provide prosperity, well-being, and joy to the family.
• Obstacles and bad energies that may be impeding the family’s development and well-being are eliminated by the ceremony.
• Performing Shraddha gives one a sense of fulfilment from paying respect to one’s ancestors, which promotes mental calm and emotional stability.
• The rituals strengthen family ties and instil in family members the virtues of compassion, thankfulness, and respect.

If you are looking to do an online Shradh Puja at any religious destination, you can book your puja from YatraDham.Org.

Frequently Asked Questions