Matri Navami on October 4: Shraddha for departed women of the family during Pitru Paksha

Pitru Paksha is under way, and during these fifteen days people remember their ancestors and perform shraddha and tarpan for them. Matri Navami is considered the most important day of Pitru Paksha. This year it falls tomorrow, Saturday, October 4, 2026.

On this day, shraddha is performed for departed mothers, grandmothers, wives and other women of the household. The tradition is hundreds of years old. The day is meant to express respect and gratitude towards women.

By the almanac, the Navami tithi begins at 5.51 am on October 4 and lasts until 3.53 am on October 5. As per the Udaya tithi, the Matri Navami shraddha will be performed on Saturday, October 4.

Certain auspicious timings have been specified for the shraddha. It is believed that performing the rite at these times brings greater merit. The Kutup muhurat is from 11.46 am to 12.33 pm. The Rohini muhurat is from 12.33 pm to 1.20 pm. The Aparahna period will run from 1.20 pm to 3.42 pm. These are considered the best times for the shraddha. The rite should be performed in the afternoon, between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm.

Ordinarily, shraddha is performed on the tithi on which the person died. In the case of a mother, this is not so: whatever the tithi of her death, her shraddha is performed on Navami. The Navami tithi is considered highly auspicious. It is the tithi of Goddess Durga, and also of Siddhidatri, the ninth form of Durga. It is believed that any act performed on this tithi is completed and its fruit lasts forever.

A second reason given is that the mother holds the highest place in Indian culture. She is the foundation of the home and sustains its culture, so a special day has been set aside for her. On this day shraddha is performed not only for the mother but also for grandmothers, great-grandmothers and all the women of the family who are no longer alive. It is also called Avidhava Navami shraddha. It is said that performing shraddha on Navami brings happiness and prosperity to the home, peace and the mother's blessings. All wishes are fulfilled.

Certain rules are to be observed during the shraddha. One should not get angry, quarrel or argue on this day. The mind should be kept calm and pure. Cleanliness should be maintained while cooking, and the food should be sattvik.

Onion and garlic should not be used in the food, as they are considered tamasic. It is also said that bottle gourd should neither be cooked nor eaten on this day. Sattvik dishes such as kheer, puri, potato curry and pumpkin curry should be prepared.

One suvasini woman and one Brahmin should be invited to a meal for the shraddha. During prayer and meditation, one should face south. After the meal, items associated with a married woman's marital status, such as clothes, fruit, kumkum, tikli and bangles, should be given as dakshina.

Matri Navami is not merely a ritual. It is a day to express gratitude towards one's mother and the women of the family and to remember what they did. Families are urged to perform the shraddha with full devotion tomorrow and seek their blessings.