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What is Pitru Paksha?

Pitru Paksha (also known as Shradh Paksha, Mahalaya Paksha, or Kanagat) is a sacred 16-day lunar period in the Hindu calendar dedicated entirely to honouring our ancestors. It falls during the Krishna Paksha (waning fortnight) of the Ashwin month.

In 2026, Pitru Paksha begins on 26th September (Purnima Shraddha) and ends on 10th October (Sarvapitri Amavasya / Mahalaya Amavasya).

According to Hindu belief, the souls of departed ancestors are believed to descend to the Earth plane during these 16 days to receive the love, offerings, and prayers of their living descendants. Performing Shradh rituals, Tarpan (water oblations), and above all — Anna Daan (food donation to the needy) — during this period is considered the most powerful way to honour them.

Pitru Paksha 2026 — Complete Shradh Tithi Calendar

Shradh is ideally performed on the Tithi (lunar date) corresponding to the ancestor's date of passing. The complete schedule for 2026:

DateTithi / ShraddhaIdeal For
September 26, 2026 (Sat)Purnima ShraddhaFull Moon – ideal for those who passed on Purnima
September 27, 2026 (Sun)Pratipada ShraddhaFirst lunar day
September 28, 2026 (Mon)Dwitiya ShraddhaSecond lunar day
September 29, 2026 (Tue)Tritiya ShraddhaThird lunar day
September 30, 2026 (Wed)Chaturthi ShraddhaFourth lunar day
October 1, 2026 (Thu)Panchami ShraddhaFifth lunar day
October 2, 2026 (Fri)Shashthi ShraddhaSixth lunar day
October 3, 2026 (Sat)Saptami ShraddhaSeventh lunar day
October 4, 2026 (Sun)Ashtami ShraddhaEighth lunar day
October 5, 2026 (Mon)Navami ShraddhaMothers who passed – Matri Navami
October 6, 2026 (Tue)Dashami ShraddhaTenth lunar day
October 7, 2026 (Wed)Ekadashi ShraddhaEleventh lunar day
October 8, 2026 (Thu)Dwadashi ShraddhaTwelfth lunar day – Sanyasis & Vaishnava
October 9, 2026 (Fri)Trayodashi ShraddhaThirteenth lunar day – children & young
October 10, 2026 (Sat)Chaturdashi ShraddhaThose who died by weapons or accidents
October 10, 2026 (Sat)Sarva Pitru AmavasyaALL ancestors – most auspicious final day

All tithis are for Indian Standard Time (IST). If unsure of the ancestor's tithi, donate on Sarva Pitru Amavasya (10 Oct) — this day covers all ancestors.

Why is Anna Daan the Highest Act on Pitru Paksha?

Hindu scriptures — from the Garuda Purana to the Mahabharata — consistently place Anna Daan (the donation of food to the hungry) at the apex of all forms of charity. The legend of Karna from the Mahabharata explains the origins of Pitru Paksha itself:

When the warrior Karna died and his soul reached the celestial realm, he was offered gold and gems as food. Puzzled, he asked Indra why he wasn't given real sustenance. Indra replied: 'You donated gold all your life — but never donated food to your ancestors.' Karna was allowed to return to Earth for 16 days to offer food. This 16-day period is now observed as Pitru Paksha.

By donating food to living humans — especially those who are sick, poor, or vulnerable — during Pitru Paksha, you perform the same act Karna performed, earning both the blessings of your ancestors and the gratitude of those you feed.

How Your Pitru Paksha Donation Reaches Those in Need

  • Your online donation is received by Akshaya Chaitanya's team within minutes.
  1. Our central kitchen at Byculla, Mumbai — FSSAI-certified and hygiene-inspected — prepares fresh, hot, nutritious meals daily starting at 4 AM.
  2. Meals are transported in sealed, food-grade containers and distributed directly to patients at 31+ government hospitals (including Tata Memorial Cancer Centre).
  3. School meals are delivered to 172+ BMC schools, ensuring children receive a hot lunch and continue attending class.Y
  4. You receive WhatsApp photos of the meals being served on your donation date — a living record of your ancestors' blessings at work.

Why Donate Through Akshaya Chaitanya?

  1. Trusted since 2007 with over 22.6 million meals served to 4.9 million beneficiaries.
  2. Partnered with Mumbai's government hospitals, BMC schools, and cancer care centres via official MOUs.
  3. 100% transparent — every rupee tracked, receipts issued, photos shared.
  4. 80G tax exemption on all donations — digital receipt via email.
  5. Direct impact: ₹25 = 1 verified meal. No middlemen, no wastage.
  6. Personalised Anna Daan in the name of your departed loved one — a modern form of Shradh.

Our Impact

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23.9 M +
Meals Served
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6.2 M +
Beneficiaries Served
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172 +
Municipal Schools
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31 +
Govt Hospitals
Updated as on: 27/08/2026
COMMUNITY OF GIVERS

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● 23.9M meals served
● 6.2M beneficiaries
● Rs.25 = 1 meal direct impact
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Served 3,94,957 families of patients across 32 Govt. Hospitals and Cancer Center to help save over 47 Cr. towards treatment.

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Serving to support informal education for 450 underprivileged children in 5 slums.

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Beneficiary Diaries

Why Donate for the New Year?

  • Celebrate with Purpose:A New Year donation helps feed those who need it most, spreading true joy and hope as we step into the year ahead.
  • Trusted Impact:As a leading NGO in Mumbai, we serve hot, nutritious meals to children, families, and hospital patients every day.
  • Light Up Lives:Every meal donated brings warmth, happiness, and relief to underprivileged communities, making the New Year truly special for those in need.

Why Donate Food on Makar Sankranti?

  • Make an Impact: By donating food on Makar Sankranti, you help feed thousands of underprivileged families, children, and hospital patients across Mumbai.
  • Celebrate Abundance: Sankranti and Pongal are about sharing the harvest of prosperity—charitable giving spreads joy and blessings.
  • Join a Trusted NGO: Akshaya Chaitanya is a leading NGO in Mumbai, delivering hot, nutritious meals daily to the poor and underserved

How Your Donation Makes an Impact

  • Donate on New Year 2024: Start the New Year with compassion by supporting patients in hospitals who struggle to afford food.
  • Make a Difference:Your New Year donation enables us to serve over 16,000+ meals daily across Mumbai, nourishing children, families, and hospital patients in need.
  • Transform Lives: Charitable giving this New Year isn’t just a donation – it’s hope shared and lives transformed.

How Your Makar Sankranti Donation Helps

  • Donate to Children: Your contributions help feed children in municipal schools who rely on us for their daily nourishment.
  • Donate to Hospitals: Support patients in government hospitals who often skip meals to save for medical costs.
  • Donate to the Poor: Every food donation brings relief to families struggling with hunger during this festive season.
    • Join hands with us this Makar Sankranti and Pongal to ensure no one sleeps hungry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pitru Paksha, alternatively called Pitri Paksha or Shradh Paksha comprises a 16-day lunar period in the Hindu calendar dedicated to honouring ancestors, primarily through the ritual of offering food. Hence, doing charity on shradh to the poor in this period is considered highly auspicious.

Donating online is the easiest way to feed the underprivileged people on such occasions. It eliminates all the hassle of preparing/purchasing food - then finding an organisation to go travel and donate there. Your online donation could help us feed the municipal school children and poor helpless people in the government hospitals who stay hungry for days just to cover their medical expenses of their admitted loved ones.Let’s collectively earn some divine blessings!

Yes all the donations with Akshaya Chaitanya are tax exempted under section 80G. You will receive a donation receipt over an email once the online donation process is successfully completed.

Yes, Even if you donate online, you can choose to visit any of our distribution sites & experience the joy of giving first hand & interact with our beneficiaries. At Akshaya Chaitanya we serve about 18,000+ meals every single day across 104 Municipal Schools, 29+ Government Hospitals & Cancer Care Centre & 4 schools on wheels.

Shradh is ideally performed on the Tithi (lunar date) of the ancestor’s death during Pitru Paksh. If that is not known, it can be done on Sarvapitri Amavasya, the last day of the Pitru Paksh, which is considered universally beneficial for all ancestors.

Pind Daan is a sacred ritual that involves offering rice balls (pindas) to departed souls. It is usually performed during Pitru Paksh, especially on the Tithi (date) of the ancestor's death, and is considered essential for helping the soul attain peace and liberation (moksha).

Pitru Paksha 2026 begins on Saturday, 26th September 2026 (Purnima Shraddha) and concludes on Saturday, 10th October 2026 (Sarva Pitru Amavasya). This 16-day sacred fortnight is observed during the Krishna Paksha of the Ashwin month in the Hindu lunar calendar.

Donating online with Akshaya Chaitanya is simple: Click the 'Donate Now' button on this page, choose your amount (₹25 = 1 nutritious meal), fill in your details, and complete the payment via UPI, card, or net banking. Your donation is immediately converted into hot, freshly cooked meals delivered to patients in government hospitals and children in municipal schools across Mumbai. You will receive an 80G tax exemption receipt by email.

Yes. All donations made to Akshaya Chaitanya are eligible for 50% tax deduction under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act, India. After a successful donation, you will receive a digital receipt with your PAN card details at your registered email address. For 80G claims, please ensure you provide your PAN card number and complete address during the donation process.

Shradh is traditionally performed on the Tithi (lunar date) corresponding to the ancestor's date of death. For example, if someone passed away on Panchami Tithi, Shradh is performed on Panchami during Pitru Paksha. If the exact Tithi is unknown, Sarvapitri Amavasya — the final day of Pitru Paksha (10th October 2026) — is considered universally beneficial for all ancestors, known or unknown.

Pind Daan is a sacred ritual involving the offering of rice balls (pindas) mixed with sesame, honey, and barley to departed souls — typically performed at holy sites like Gaya (Bihar), Varanasi, Prayagraj, or Haridwar. Anna Daan, on the other hand, is the donation of food to living humans — the hungry, poor, sick, and underprivileged. Both are complementary acts; Anna Daan in particular is endorsed by Hindu scripture as the most practical and merit-generating form of charity during Pitru Paksha.

Sarvapitri Amavasya (also called Mahalaya Amavasya or Pitru Amavasya) is the last and most important day of Pitru Paksha — 10th October 2026. On this day, Shradh can be performed for ALL ancestors simultaneously, especially those whose death dates are not known. It is also the day when Mahalaya Paksha officially ends. Donating food on this day is considered supremely auspicious and is believed to bring peace to all departed souls across three generations.

Akshaya Chaitanya operates from its state-of-the-art, FSSAI-compliant central kitchen at JAK Compound, Keshavrao Borker Marg, Byculla, Mumbai 400027. As of 2026, it serves over 16,000+ hot, nutritious meals daily across 31+ government hospitals (including Tata Memorial Cancer Centre), 172+ municipal schools, and 5 slum education centres across Mumbai.

Yes, the minimum donation is ₹25, which funds one complete nutritious meal for a patient or child. Popular donation amounts include ₹500 (20 meals), ₹1,000 (40 meals), ₹5,000 (200 meals), and ₹25,000 (1,000 meals). Every amount, however small, directly contributes to feeding the hungry in Mumbai's most vulnerable communities.

Yes. Akshaya Chaitanya accepts donations in multiple currencies including USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, SGD, HKD, and CNY via the Foreign Donation option on the donation form. International donors should select their currency before entering the amount. Please note that 80G tax benefits apply only to Indian residents; foreign donors may be eligible for tax benefits under FCRA provisions.

Make This New Year a Celebration of Giving

The promise of New Year 2024 is best celebrated through compassion and kindness. Your New Year donations help us serve meals to thousands, ensuring no one goes hungry as we welcome the year ahead.

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Make This Makar Sankranti and Pongal a Festival of Giving

This festive season, let’s go beyond celebrations. Donate food, spread happiness, and transform lives. Akshaya Chaitanya is your trusted partner in charitable giving, ensuring your generosity reaches the people who need it most.

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    Name

    HKM Charitable Foundation

    Bank Name

    Kotak Bank

    A/c Type

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    Account No

    6645753806

    MICR

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    IFSC/RTGS Code

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    Bank Address

    Ilyas Mohammed Khan Estate, Road no.1, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad - 500034