Why Is Shashthi Shraddha Done? Know This Ancient Rule

There are many days in Pitru Paksha when Hindus honor their deceased ancestors. There are various rituals done in those days. One such ritual is known as Shashthi Shraddha. It is performed for those family members who have died on the Shashthi Tithi. This ritual is also known as Chhath Shraddha. This ritual is done according to the Hindu lunar calendar. Hence, the date changes every year. It becomes necessary to know the right Tithi, as according to the tradition, Shraddha needs to be done on the same Tithi on which the person has died.




Shashthi Shraddha is Shraddha based on Tithi which takes place during the Pitru Paksha for the deceased who died on the Tithi named Shashthi. Shashthi means the sixth day of the fortnight. This Shraddha could be done in the case of death on either Shukla Paksha Shashthi or Krishna Paksha Shashthi. It can also be known as Chhath Shraddha. People pray and offer things in honor of the departed soul and also seek their blessings.






The Hindu Shraddha tradition makes the Tithi on which the individual died significant in its own right. In the Pitru Paksha period, families normally carry out the annual Shraddha ceremony in accordance with the lunar Tithi. That is how the Shashthi Shraddha ceremony is associated particularly with the family members who died on the Shashthi Tithi. The concept behind the Shraddha is that it has to be performed on the Tithi in relation to the dead family member. Literature on Hindu practices talks about performing Shraddha in accordance with the Tithi of death.

Shashthi Shraddha is a Parvan Shraddha, and it is considered essential to do it during the correct time of the day. Some of the times that have been traditionally believed to be favorable include the times of Kutup Muhurat, Rohina Muhurat, and Aparahna. Pinda Daan and Tarpan are some of the rituals that go hand-in-hand with Shraddha rituals. It is a ritual which involves offering of water to remember the departed souls. There could be variations in the rituals from family to family, so one could perform them based on his family's traditions.

In some cases, there could be a lack of awareness about the Tithi when one’s ancestor dies. There is Sarva Pitru Amavasya or Mahalaya Amavasya in Hindu tradition for honoring the deceased ancestors who do not have any particular Tithi for Shraddha ceremony. One can do rituals as per one’s tradition on such occasions. Thus, it will not be wrong to say that having no awareness about death Tithi does not mean that one has no Tithi at all to remember the ancestor.

Pitru Paksha is an occasion when most families look back and commemorate the ancestors that are gone. It is during the Shashthi Shraddha when such remembrance finds a spot in the lunisolar calendar. With prayers, Tarpan and other rituals, the family pays homage to their deceased loved ones. Shashthi Shraddha also holds the importance of a basic family value where the family commemorates those ancestors who formed the family in its present form.


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