On which day is the Uthala ceremony performed?

The Uthala ceremony is typically performed on Day 10 after death, which is why it is also called Daswan (from daswaan, meaning tenth). In some families and regions, the ceremonies extend across Days 10 to 12 to include the Vrishotsarga on Day 11 and preparations for Sapindikarana on Day 12. The exact timing can also shift based on the Tithi (lunar date) calendar — if a particular day falls on an inauspicious Tithi, the ceremony may be moved to the nearest auspicious date on the advice of a pandit. The Garuda Purana Preta Kalpa treats Day 10 as particularly significant because it is when hunger and thirst first come into being within the soul’s newly completed subtle body.