Chaturthi Shradh is observed on the fourth day of Pitrupaksha — Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Known as Chauth Shradh in the vernacular, this day holds a distinctive place in the ancestral rites calendar because of its deep connection to the number four: four generations, four directions, and the four states of consciousness through which an ancestor’s soul travels on its journey through Pitru Loka. Chaturthi Shradh is dedicated to ancestors who departed on the fourth lunar day of any paksha, and it also carries specific blessings for families seeking the restoration of broken relationships, harmony in the household, and the spiritual resolution of debts owed to paternal uncles, elder relatives, and those who served as protectors of the family.
What Is Chaturthi Shradh?
Chaturthi (चतुर्थी) is the fourth lunar day of any paksha, and Chaturthi Shradh during Pitrupaksha is the ordained rite for the souls of ancestors who departed on this date. In folk language it is called Chauth Shradh, the same root that gives us Ganesh Chaturthi and Karwa Chauth — all occasions associated with the fourth day’s particular spiritual energy.
In the cosmological framework of Vedic Jyotisha, Chaturthi is governed by Rahu, the shadowy node of the Moon associated with karma, past-life impressions, and the unfinished business of previous incarnations. This gives Chaturthi Shradh a uniquely karmic quality: it is believed to be especially effective in clearing karmic obstructions that stem from the unfulfilled wishes of fourth-generation ancestors (the Pra-pra-pitamaha, great-great-grandfather) and beyond.
The Dharmasindhu identifies several specific purposes of Chaturthi Shradh:
- Honouring ancestors four generations back — the “four” of Chaturthi corresponds symbolically to the four-generation reach of Pitru Shradh (father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather)
- Resolving karmic debt related to land and property — ancestors involved in property disputes, unpaid debts, or unfulfilled financial obligations benefit particularly from this rite
- Healing family disharmony — the Chaturthi energy is associated with obstacle removal (Lord Ganesha’s association with this date), and Chaturthi Shradh is believed to remove ancestral obstacles that manifest as family conflicts
- Honouring ancestors who died in accidents or sudden, untimely deaths — such souls are said to need more sustained ancestral remembrance, and Chaturthi is prescribed for them in certain regional traditions
Chaturthi Shradh 2026: Date and Muhurat
In 2026, Ashwina Krishna Chaturthi falls on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 — Day 4 of Pitrupaksha.
Auspicious Muhurats for Chaturthi Shradh 2026 (approx. for North India):
- Kutup Muhurat: 11:44 AM – 12:31 PM (most auspicious)
- Rohina Muhurat: 12:31 PM – 1:17 PM (also very auspicious)
- Aparahna Kala: 1:17 PM – 3:37 PM (valid extended window)
Wednesday (Budhwara) is the day of Mercury (Budha), associated with intellect, communication, and the processing of karmic information. For exact muhurat timings on this date, consult the DrikPanchang Pitrupaksha calendar. The Chaturthi Tithi combined with a Wednesday has been identified in texts like Muhurta Chintamani as a day particularly suitable for rites designed to resolve long-standing karmic knots — making Chaturthi Shradh on Wednesday 2026 an especially effective day for ancestral rites aimed at clearing deeper generational patterns.
Those performing Chaturthi Shradh at Triveni Sangam should plan to arrive by 10:30 AM for the ritual bath and preparation sequence before the Kutup Muhurat.
Who Should Perform Shradh on Chaturthi?
Chaturthi Shradh is particularly prescribed for:
- Those whose ancestors departed on Chaturthi Tithi — Shukla or Krishna Chaturthi of any month in any year
- Those with ancestors who died in accidents, natural disasters, or other sudden circumstances — untimely or accidental deaths are specifically covered by the Chaturthi Shradh according to some regional śāstra traditions
- Those whose families have experienced long-standing disputes over property or finances — the karmic dimension of Chaturthi Shradh addresses ancestral obligations connected to material life
- Those performing Shradh for four generations of ancestors simultaneously — Chaturthi’s symbolic “four” makes it an ideal day for performing an extended, multi-generational Shradh
- Those seeking Ganesha’s blessing for the removal of obstacles — Lord Ganesha is the patron deity of Chaturthi, and invoking him on this Shradh day is believed to remove obstacles from the ancestor’s onward journey as well as from the performer’s own path
A significant number of families who approach Prayag Pandits with questions about unexplained obstacles in their lives — recurring financial problems, persistent family conflicts, difficulty in conceiving — are guided to perform Chaturthi Shradh as part of a broader assessment of their ancestral rites history. The connection between unresolved Pitru Rin and real-life obstacles is well-documented in the tradition of ancestral debt resolution.
Rituals and Procedures for Chaturthi Shradh
1. Ganesha Invocation Before the Rite
Chaturthi Shradh uniquely begins with a brief invocation of Lord Ganesha before the ancestral rites proper begin. This is because Chaturthi is Ganesha’s sacred day, and his blessing is sought to remove obstacles from the path of the ancestor’s soul and to ensure the Shradh rite is completed without interruption. The pandit recites the Ganesha Chaturthi shloka followed by the Pitru Invocation mantra.
2. Four-Generation Sankalpa
The sankalpa on Chaturthi Shradh explicitly names up to four generations of paternal ancestors: father, paternal grandfather, paternal great-grandfather, and paternal great-great-grandfather — along with their wives where known. This comprehensive declaration ensures the rite’s benefit reaches the fullest possible ancestral depth.
3. Tarpan at the Sangam
Tarpan at the Triveni Sangam on Chaturthi is performed with particular attention to the ancestors of four generations. Four rounds of water offerings are made, one for each generation, with specific Vedic mantras naming each generational level. Black sesame seeds, kusha grass, and fresh flowers are used. The Triveni Sangam’s sacred waters carry the Tarpan offerings through the Ganga directly to the ocean and beyond — to the celestial rivers of Pitru Loka.
4. Pind Daan with Durba Grass and Sesame
The Pind Daan for Chaturthi Shradh uses a slightly modified composition in some traditions: four pindas are offered (one per generation), each prepared with cooked rice, barley, black sesame, honey, and a strand of durba (Bermuda grass), which is associated with Lord Ganesha and considered especially purifying. The standard Pind Daan procedure is followed, with the pandit reciting four-generation-specific mantras for each offering.
5. Brahmin Bhoj with Modak
Because Chaturthi is Ganesha’s day, the Brahmin bhoj on Chaturthi Shradh traditionally includes modak (sweet dumplings) or laddoos made of rice and coconut — Lord Ganesha’s favourite offering, extended here as a gesture of gratitude to the God who removes the obstacles from both the ancestor’s path and the family’s path. Standard ritual foods (rice, dal, vegetables, kheer) are served alongside.
6. Daan for Material Karmic Resolution
Chaturthi Shradh prescribes daan that specifically addresses the material-karmic dimension: a small amount of land (even a handful of earth donated to a temple garden counts symbolically), grains, cloth, and gold (or its equivalent in cash) given to Brahmins on this day is believed to resolve the financial and material karmic debts of the ancestors.
Significance in Hindu Scriptures
The Agni Purana (Chapter 160) contains a dedicated section on the significance of performing Shradh on the fourth tithi. The text states that the four tithi days of each paksha correspond to the four realms through which an ancestor’s soul must pass on its way to final liberation: Bhuloka (earthly realm), Bhuvaloka (intermediary realm), Svarloka (celestial realm), and Pitru Loka (ancestral realm). Performing Shradh on Chaturthi is believed to ease the ancestor’s passage through all four realms simultaneously.
The Padma Purana narrates the story of King Harishchandra, who — despite his great piety — was told by Yama that his ancestor in the second generation had accumulated a karmic debt through a land dispute. It was only after Harishchandra performed an extended four-generation Chaturthi Shradh at a sacred tirtha that the debt was resolved and his ancestor achieved liberation. This story is cited in commentaries on the Dharmasindhu as the scriptural basis for Chaturthi Shradh’s role in resolving ancestral karmic obligations.
The connection between Chaturthi and ancestral karma is further reflected in the Bhavishya Purana, which recommends that families facing persistent obstacles should consult a learned pandit about the state of their Pitru Shradh practice — and specifically whether the Chaturthi rite has been performed for ancestors who died in the fourth generation and beyond.
Do’s and Don’ts for Chaturthi Shradh
Follow These Practices
- Begin the day with a Ganesha Vandana (prayer) before starting the Shradh preparations
- Offer four different types of fruit to the ancestors during the Brahmin bhoj — one for each generation
- Light four oil lamps in four directions in the home, representing the four generational levels being honoured
- Read or recite the Pitru Sukta (from Rig Veda 10.15) after the main rite is complete
- Perform the full Pitrupaksha rite at a sacred tirtha — the merit is exponentially greater at Triveni Sangam, Varanasi, or Gaya
- If there are known family disputes over property or inheritance, take this day to perform a formal prayer of forgiveness on behalf of the family towards the departed ancestor, specifically asking for the karmic debt’s resolution
Avoid These on Chaturthi Shradh
- Avoid beginning or continuing legal disputes on this day — the energy of Chaturthi Shradh is specifically about karmic resolution, not escalation
- Do not use iron vessels; use copper, bronze, or clay exclusively
- Avoid eating before completing the Brahmin bhoj, crow feeding, and cow feeding sequence
- Do not perform the Shradh alone if at all avoidable — Chaturthi Shradh benefits from the presence of the extended family, representing the living side of the four-generation chain
Perform Chaturthi Shradh with Prayag Pandits
Chaturthi Shradh at the Triveni Sangam of Prayagraj carries the full scriptural endorsement as one of the most meritorious locations for this rite. The four sacred energies of Chaturthi — Ganesha’s obstacle-removal, the four-generation ancestral reach, the karmic resolution of material debts, and the Aparahna Kala’s spiritual window — combine at the sacred confluence to create a ceremony of exceptional depth.
Prayag Pandits’ experienced Vedic pandits are fully conversant with the four-generation sankalpa, the Ganesha invocation protocol, and the specific Chaturthi mantras for ancestral rites. We manage the full ceremony including daan materials, Brahmin bhoj coordination, and the Triveni Sangam Tarpan and Pind Daan. Our Prayagraj rites carry the same merit as Gaya Shradh by scriptural authority.
For the complete context of the Pitrupaksha calendar, read our Pitrupaksha 2026 guide. The preceding day’s rites are described in Tritiya Shradh (which also covers Maha Bharani in 2026), and you can find details of the Pratipada Shradh and Dwitiya Shradh on their respective pages.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Chaturthi Shradh
Continue your ancestral rites journey with our complete Pitrupaksha guide, explore the detailed Pind Daan procedure, and learn about the significance of resolving ancestral debts through Shradh.