Pitru Paksha 2026 Begins: How to Book Shraadh Puja Online From Anywhere

Today, the fortnight begins.

Somewhere in Calgary this morning, a woman named Simran is checking the panchang screenshot her mother sent last night, wondering whether "Pitru Paksha starts today" means the same thing at 6 AM Mountain Time. Underneath the arithmetic is the quiet worry she has carried since her father passed three years ago: Will I get this right, this year, from here?

If you share that worry, this post explains how to book Shraadh puja online calmly and correctly: what to have ready, how the timing works from Canada, and what happens on the day. You have more time than you think.

Pitru Paksha 2026 begins: what "today" means

By the Indian panchang (drikpanchang.com, New Delhi), Purnima Shraddha fell on Saturday, September 26, and the Krishna Paksha fortnight begins with Pratipada on Sunday, September 27, 2026. It ends on Saturday, October 10, with Sarva Pitru Amavasya. Over these days, families across the Hindu world perform Shraadh for their ancestors, each on the tithi that matches their death.

One wrinkle for Canada: tithis are calculated from local sunrise, and North American panchangs often place them a day earlier. Drikpanchang's Toronto listing, for example, shows Sarva Pitru Amavasya on October 9. If a pandit in India performs your family's Shraadh, the Indian date is the one that counts. For the full list, see our 2026 tithi calendar.

In India, the season is visible: temples get busier and priests' diaries fill up. In Calgary, with the leaves turning and the first frost on the way, nobody around you is marking it. That's part of what makes it feel heavier. You're carrying something the calendar around you doesn't reflect back.

You can still book Shraadh puja online today

Here's what tends to surprise people: it isn't too late, and it wasn't going to be. Because each Shraadh falls on its own tithi, you only need to book before your ancestor's day, not before the fortnight starts.

With DevPravas, it works like this. You message an English-speaking coordinator on WhatsApp. They confirm your ancestor's tithi against this year's panchang, confirm the pronunciation of names and gotra with you, and schedule a pandit on the ghats of Gaya or Ujjain. On the day, you join a live stream. The pandit speaks your sankalp, the offerings are made, and you watch it happen. A digital certificate follows the same day.

The Shraadh / Pitru Paksha puja is listed from ₹5,100, or ₹6,100 with live stream. If your family also wants Pind Daan or Tarpan, those are separate listings on the pujas page.

Shraadh puja online booking for a father or mother: what to share

If you're arranging Shraadh for a parent, have these ready before you message. It takes about five minutes.

• Your parent's full name, and your relationship to them.
• The family gotra. If you're unsure, say so; a coordinator can help you work it out, and relatives in India often know.
• The tithi, or the English date of death. The pandit can calculate the tithi from the date.
• The name of the person making the sankalp, usually you.
• Your city and time zone, so the slot can be timed for you.
• Any family customs, such as foods your parent loved being offered.

For a father, Shraadh is performed on his tithi. For a mother, it's her tithi, and many families also observe Matru Navami (October 4 in India). Where both parents have passed, some families perform the father's Shraadh first, then the mother's.

Timing from Calgary and Vancouver

India is 11 hours 30 minutes ahead of Calgary (Mountain Daylight Time) and 12 hours 30 minutes ahead of Vancouver (Pacific Daylight Time). A ritual at 8 AM in Ujjain is 8:30 PM the previous evening in Calgary and 7:30 PM in Vancouver. That's why the stream often arrives on the evening before the Indian date. For many families it's actually the gentlest time: dinner done, children home, a quiet hour to sit together.

Canadian Thanksgiving falls on Monday, October 12, two days after Pitru Paksha ends, so plenty of families in Vancouver and Calgary will be juggling both. Book early and let the coordinator fit the slot around your week. You can reschedule free of charge until the pandit begins sankalp preparations. More time-zone help is on the NRI Canada page.

How NRIs can perform last rites remotely, and what "remotely" means

It helps to be precise about what can and can't be done from a distance. Antyeshti, the cremation itself, needs family present. But much of what follows can be performed by a pandit on your behalf while you take part live: the annual Shraadh, Tarpan, Pind Daan, and the Pitru Paksha rites. That's how most NRIs perform these rites remotely today, especially when a flight home is impossible.

There's a particular guilt many NRIs feel at this time of year, and it rarely gets said out loud: if I really cared, I'd have found a way to be there. But "being there" and "flying there" aren't the same thing. A sankalp spoken with your parent's name, on the right tithi, with you watching and joining in, is being there. For the broader picture, our NRI hub explains how live puja works across countries.

If this is the first Shraadh since losing a parent, please read losing a parent abroad: a compassionate guide to Shraadh before you book anything. If you're still preparing, the one-week Pitru Paksha checklist will help. And for families drawn to the Sangam, Pind Daan on the ghats of Prayagraj explains that tradition.

Pitru paksha me shraadh kaise karein, NRI edition

Many families search the Hindi phrase pitru paksha me shraadh kaise karein NRI: "how do I perform Shraadh during Pitru Paksha when I live abroad?" In short: know the tithi, know the names and gotra, choose a qualified pandit, and be present in intention. The rest can be arranged in one conversation.

FAQ

Book today, from wherever you are

Pitru Paksha doesn't wait, but you don't need weeks of notice either. To book Shraadh puja online for your father, mother or grandparents, message us on WhatsApp with their name, your gotra and the tithi, and a coordinator will confirm a date and pandit. You can also book online.