About Amavasya

On Amavasya, many people fast and offer puja to the souls of their forefathers. They also provide water to the departed souls. Fifteen days before the Navratri, there is Amavasya which is called Mahalaya. This is the time which is called Pitri paksha and is considered as a perfect time to offer prayers to the departed souls and ensure that they rest in peace. Food is delivered to the ancestors. It is said that Lord Vishnu himself said that on these days, the ancestors come to earth, and if they are not offered puja and food, they feel offended. There is also a popular story that Karna, a famous character in Mahabharata, could not get food after death. He was known for charity, and he gave people a lot of gold but not nutrition. When Lord Yama saw his state, he advised Karna to go back to earth and feed the poor. Karna returned to the world and fed the poor during the pitri paksha. This enabled him to get food in his life after death. This is precisely many people even today feed the poor on these days so that their forefathers get peace in their afterlives

Amavasya Dates 2026