Mahalaya Amavasya 2023: Timings, Significance, and Rituals

Mahalaya Amavasya, also known as Pitru Moksha Amavasya, Pitru Amavasya or Sarvapitri Amavasya, is a traditional day in the Hindu calendar. The tradition is dedicated to our ancestors or pitrs. On this day, all the family members offer to their previous generations to express gratitude and thank them for all the life they have given us.

According to the Amavasyant calendar followed in South India, Pitru Amavasya is observed in the Bhadrapada month on New Moon Day (Amavasya). But, North Indians follow the Purnimant calendar, and according to it, Mahalaya Amavasya is observed in Ashwin; during September-October according to the Georgian calendar.

If you’re wondering how Mahalaya Amavasya relates to Sharadh, it is the last day of the 16-day Shradh ritual period. It is considered the most auspicious day, and family members can perform the deceased person’s shradh on Amavasya irrespective of the Hindu Calendar tithi. 

Shradh and Mahalaya hold an important significance in Hindu tradition because they believe that pleasing their ancestors and seeking blessings will help protect them from all the doshas. Thereby, it is important to assist an expert Vedic pandit in completing all the rituals in an ideal manner, eliminating any scope for mistakes.

SmartPuja– the one-stop solution for all your religious needs will help you find an expert Vedic pandit to please your ancestors during Shradh or on Mahalaya Amavasya. We offer our services pan India, including :

Moreover, we also provide remote solutions to our clients where they can go with the e-puja option.

Apart from just conducting the religious ceremony, we also extend photography, catering, florist, and astrology services.No matter which occasion you’re searching for, our exhaustive list of Puja Services has it all covered for your feasibility.

What Is Mahalaya Amavasya?

Mahalaya Amavasya is observed on the 15th Day of Sharadh; the new moon day called Mahalaya Paksha. Hindu beliefs believe it is the most important fortnight to assuage our ancestors. Also known as Pitru Paksha Amavasya or Sarvapitri Amavasya, it is a perfect day to offer ancestral rituals (Tarpanam) to the deceased family members.

If a family member is missing out on the death date of their ancestors, then they can perform their shradh rituals or pind daan on Mahalaya Amavasya. It will further ensure that the ancestors are satisfied and will bless members for the family’s peace and luxury. 

There are many complex beliefs and legends related to Mahalaya Amavasya. Still, the overall idea behind it is to ensure moksha to ancestors in the realm of Heaven and Home.

Timings For Mahalaya Amavasya 2023

Mahalaya Amavasya Festival Dates In The Upcoming Years

Significance of Mahalaya Amavasya

The overall idea behind Sharadha and Mahalaya Amavasya is to thank our ancestors for the life they have given us. Every preceding generation has contributed something to the succeeding generation on behalf of which they are elevating and developing. This is a human growth cycle that identifies our links with past generations. 

To strengthen this identified bond and exchange for the life we are thankful for, family members or individuals offer prayers, moksha, and gratitude to their ancestors on Mahalaya Amavasya. It is, therefore, an opportunity to reinforce our bond with the past generations who no longer exist in the human body and reside in another plane. 

It is considered a critical two-week period where we invite our ancestors to bestow their abundant blessings on the family members and give power to the existing members to change the world for the better. Thus, Mahalaya Amavasya’s significance is remarkable, and no one should try to overlook this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

What Is The Mythological Story Behind Mahalaya Amavasya?

Behind all the religious traditions, there is a mythological story that identifies the existence and importance of the occasion. Mahalaya Amavasya also has a similar mythological explanation based on Mahabharat extracts. 

According to the story, Karna (one of the main protagonists of Hindu Mahabharata) has the main role in this religious 16-day period. When he died and his soul reached heaven, God offered him gold and other jewels as food. Karna was confused about this offering and asked God for a reason behind this suffering. 

In reply to Karna, God said that he only donated his wealth to the people during his entire life span and never offered any food item to his ancestors. Karna further answered that he was unaware of his ancestors, which is why he did not offer Taparnam to them. Pleased with his answer, God allowed him to return to earth for 15 days and offer Sharadh or Taparnam to his ancestors. 

After offering water and food and completing all the ancestral rituals for his family members, Karna was allowed to move back to heaven. These 15 days are thereby celebrated as Mahalaya Amavasya, where we all need to offer food and water to our ancestors to please them and seek their blessings.

Benefits of Observing Mahalaya Amavasya

Offering shradh or tarpanam to the deceased ancestors will help family members with the following benefits: 

• It helps in the satiation of the restless souls by providing them salvation or moksha. 
• Ancestors’ blessings during Mahalaya Amavasya helps solve the life problems of family members related to relationship, career, health, and money. 
• Family members gain blessings from their souls for a prosperous life and good fortune. 
• Remove all the ancestral dosh and bad karma and help family members succeed in all their life threads. 
• Dissolve all the doshas and bad karma for not pleasing or offering shradh in the past.

Rituals In Mahalaya Amavasya

All the deceased family members who have died on Amavasya, Chaturdashi or Purnima are offered shradha or tarpan on this day. An observer needs to follow rituals on Pitru Paksha Moksha to offer gratitude: 

• They first need to wake up early to finish all the morning rituals. 
• The observer, the eldest male member of the family, must wear yellow clothes and invite a Brahmin to their house. 
• The observer must wash the Brahmin’s feet and offer them a clean place to rest with sesame seeds sprinkled on the floor. There is a defined location for seating- Matru Paksha Brahmin must face towards the north, and Deva Paksha must face towards the East. 
• After all this, pitrs or ancestors are worshipped with Diya, dhoop, flowers, barley, and water. All this is offered to please them, and a splint is offered as a donation.
• The observer must also wear a sacred thread on their right shoulder. 
• After completing and pleasing the forefathers, exceptional food prepared by the household members is offered to Brahmin. 
• Mantras are chanted and recited to invoke ancestors’ blessings, and family members ask for an apology while praying for their peace.

Do’s and Dont in Mahalaya Amavasya

• To eliminate ancestral doshas and lousy karma, family members must offer sharadh or tarpan to the deceased ancestors. 
• Performing the shradh help eliminate karma that prevents the deceased soul from attaining moksha. 
• Observers must organise a puja to help their ancestors attain salvation. 
• Must offer water to the peepal tree to get blessings from forefathers.

Regional Variations And Celebrations Of Mahalaya Amavasya

From North India to South India, Mahalaya Amavasya is observed and celebrated by Hindu observers. People respect their departed family members or forefathers on this day as per mahalaya amavasya timings and mark the day as Goddess Durga’s welcome for nine days (Navratri). Here are some regions that commemorate variations in observance and celebrations of Mahalaya Amavasya.

West Bengal

Mahalaya Amavasya indicates Navratri festival beginning in West Bengal. People in this region believe that on this paying respect day, Earth witnessed the descent of Goddess Durga. On the mahalaya amavasya date, devotees also pay respect by conducting Tarpan in the Ganga river to their departed father or anyone who passed away. Shradh rituals are ideal for conducting Mahalaya Amavasya for people who passed away on Chaturdashi tithi, Amavasya tithi, or Purnima tithi. Mahalaya amavasya significance is because it indicates the beginning of Devipaksha, and people listen to the “Mahishasura Mardini ” broadcast to learn about the triumph of Goddess Durga over the Mahishasura demon.

Telangana

Mahalaya Amavasya marks the beginning or first day (Engili Pula Bathukamma) of the Bathukamma (nine days festivity) festival in Telangana. It is also called Pethara Amavasya in the region when devotees offer naivedyam or offerings, such as nookalu (coarsely ground wet rice), biyyampindi (rice flour) with nuvvulu (sesame seeds) to Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Lakshmi, and Goddess Durga.

Tamilnadu & Karnataka

Like North India, Mahalaya Amavasya is Mahalaya Paksha’s last day, and Devi Paksha’s beginning in Tamilnadu & Karnataka. The observance is dedicated to the people who passed away and shows respect for them. You must check when is mahalaya amavasya and find out the mahalaya amavasya 2023 date to observe the day for your forefathers and ancestors.

Amavasya Tarpanam by SmartPuja

The significance of performing Pitru Paksha or Mahalaya Amavasya Puja is to attain blessings from the deceased souls of family members and to help them attain moksha or salvation. The observer or puja performer needs to be an expert to ensure that all the rituals and mantras are done according to the rulebook. If you’re planning for puja on Mahalaya Amavasya, then SmartPuja has an affordable package.

Along with Mahalaya Amavasya Puja, various other pujas are organised to ensure that the deceased member’s soul is free from troubles and has attained Moksha.

• Pitru Paksha Puja
• Barsi Puja
• Brahmin Bhoj
• Tarpana

SmartPuja aims to provide hassle-free solutions for all religious needs and assist their clients with all other requirements as well. Our pandits will carry all the items required for puja setup and samagri to your place, and, under the guidance of an expert Vedic pandit, you will take the Sankalp and chant mantras during the puja. Apart from this, we will also help you with a detailed checklist of all the puja samagri and household items that you need to arrange on your end for a religious experience.

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