
Notes: All timings are represented in 12-hour notation in local time of Lancaster, United States with DST adjustment (if applicable).
Hours which are past midnight are suffixed with next day date. In Panchang day starts and ends with sunrise.
Navami Shraddha is done for those deceased family members who died on Dashami Tithi, including both Shukla and Krishna Paksha Navami.
Dashami Shraddha is also known as Dasami Shraddha.
Pitru Paksha Shraddhas are Parvan Shraddhas (पार्वण श्राद्ध) and auspicious time to perform them is either Kutup Muhurat and Rohina etc. Muhurat after that till Aparahna Kala gets over. Tarpan (तर्पण) is done at the end of the Shraddha.
Dashami Shraddha is a specific Tithi-based Shraddha ritual performed on the tenth day, i.e., Dashami Tithi of Pitru Paksha. It is mentioned in Hindu scriptures as a Tithi-based Mahalaya Shraddha. Dashami Shraddha is generally dedicated to those ancestors who had lived a complete family life or Grihastha Ashrama and had carried forward the family lineage. In other words, performing Shraddha on this date is considered ideal for ancestors who followed the Vanaprastha Ashrama. The rituals performed on this day are believed to aid in the fulfillment of all four Purushartha, i.e., Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.
Manusmriti, Vishnu Smriti, Dharmasindhu and Garuda Purana state that the most meritorious Shraddha is the one performed on the exact lunar date or Tithi of the ancestor's death. A Shraddha performed on the correct date directly reaches the intended ancestor and satisfies them. However, if performed on an incorrect Tithi, the ritual is considered incomplete and does not reach the departed soul.
If the death date of the ancestor is unknown, Hindu scriptures prescribe performing a collective Shraddha on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, the no-moon day observed at the end of Pitru Paksha. Still, performing Shraddha on the exact Tithi ensures its completeness and sanctity. Dashami Shraddha is not merely a ritualistic formality; it is a living tradition of reverence, devotion and cultural continuity. It expresses respect and gratitude toward one's ancestors and remains an essential practice in the present day. It is also considered a powerful means of spiritual elevation within the Sanatan Dharma.