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Amavasya
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Dates follow the sunrise tithi convention used on our Tithi page. Temple calendars may differ by a day.
Next Amavasya Date
Sunday, 9 August 2026
Sunrise Amavasya (new moon, Krishna 15) — calendar of upcoming dates, importance, practices, stories, and FAQ. Primary reading for New Delhi. See the calendar.
Amavasya for New Delhi
Local check
Confirm the civil date with a city panchang or your temple notice — especially abroad, where sunrise can shift the calendar day.
Companion reading
- Nakshatra: —
- Yoga: —
- Karana: —
What is Amavasya?
Amavasya is a landmark lunar day in the Hindu calendar — Purnima closes the bright fortnight at full moon, and Amavasya closes the dark fortnight at new moon. Families use these days for named festivals, ancestral rites, charity, and quiet devotion.
Because “today’s tithi” is read at local sunrise, the civil date can differ between cities. This page follows the same sunrise convention as our Tithi tool.
How Amavasya is practised
The day leans toward ancestors, restraint, and quiet devotion rather than loud celebration.
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Morning
Bathe early. Where tradition requires, offer tarpana or simple water-rice sesame rites for pitrs, or visit a temple for ancestral remembrance. Keep speech and schedule calmer than usual.
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Food
Many take a light satvik meal or a single meal. Some avoid meat, alcohol, and leftover food. Follow your family rule — there is no single nationwide Amavasya menu.
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What to avoid
Traditional muhurta lists often discourage starting marriages, griha pravesh, or major business launches on Amavasya unless a specific exception applies. Spiritual practice and charity remain welcome.
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Named Amavasya days
Mahalaya opens the pitru paksha fortnight in many eastern calendars; Mauni Amavasya emphasises silence and Magh baths; Diwali Amavasya anchors Lakshmi puja timing in much of North India — always check the local muhurta for the evening ritual.
If you are unwell, pregnant, or caring for children, keep nourishment adequate and treat ritual fasting as optional. Ancestral rites can be done with intention even when the meal is simple.
How different regions observe Amavasya
Ancestral rites and festival calendars give Amavasya a distinct flavour in each region.
North India
Pitru paksha and Somvati Amavasya baths are widely known. Diwali Amavasya evening is dedicated to Lakshmi puja in many homes — the civil date may match Amavasya while the puja muhurta is after sunset.
Maharashtra & Gujarat
Households keep quieter Amavasya days, with some linking dark-fortnight observances to family shraddha calendars. Temple notices guide Diwali and regional vrat dates.
South India
Amavasya (Amavasai) is marked for tharpanam in many Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada households. Temple towns may schedule special ancestral rites; check the local panchang for amavasai thithi.
Bengal & the East
Mahalaya Amavasya opens the fortnight leading to Durga Puja. Tarpan at riverbanks and pandal season timing make this one of the year’s most observed new-moon days in Bengal.
Diaspora temples
Temples abroad often run collective tarpana or pitru days on the local Amavasya. Use the temple calendar when family rites are performed overseas.
Named Amavasya observances
Classical and regional lists give special names to certain months’ amavasya. Exact civil dates shift every year — use the calendar table above for the next sunrise dates.
| Name | Significance |
|---|---|
| Somvati Amavasya | Amavasya on Monday; baths, peepal worship, charity. |
| Mauni Amavasya | Magha; silence and sangam / river baths. |
| Mahalaya Amavasya | Opens pitru paksha before Durga Puja in the East. |
| Sarvapitri / Mahalaya rites | Fortnight of ancestral offerings culminating near Amavasya. |
| Diwali Amavasya | Kartika Krishna Amavasya; Lakshmi puja evening in much of North India. |
| Shattila season Amavasya | Winter lists often emphasise til (sesame) charity. |
| Bhadrapada Amavasya | Late monsoon dark moon; regional pitru observances. |
| Ashvina Amavasya | Autumn dark moon near Mahalaya timing in many calendars. |
| Pausha Amavasya | Mid-winter; quiet ancestral and temple days. |
| Phalguna Amavasya | Late winter / early spring dark moon before Holi season. |
| Jyeshtha Amavasya | Early summer; regional holy baths where customary. |
| Monthly Amavasya tharpanam | South Indian household ancestral water rites on each Amavasai. |
Common questions about Amavasya
When is the next Amavasya?
Amavasya is the new-moon tithi — the fifteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight (Krishna paksha). It falls about once a lunar month. This page shows the next sunrise Amavasya for New Delhi and a calendar of upcoming dates. Near a tithi change, confirm your city’s sunrise reading.
How is the Amavasya date decided?
Most common almanacs take the tithi current at local sunrise. If sunrise falls on Krishna Amavasya (tithi 15 of the waning fortnight), that civil morning is treated as Amavasya. Some festivals tied to Amavasya (such as Diwali) also depend on local moonrise and muhurta rules — confirm with your panjika for the exact ritual window.
What is done on Amavasya?
Many families perform pitru tarpana or shraddha for ancestors, keep a quieter home, and avoid starting major auspicious works. Somvati Amavasya, Mauni Amavasya, and Mahalaya Amavasya have special baths, silence, or fortnight-long ancestral rites depending on the region.
Is Amavasya inauspicious?
Classical guidance treats Amavasya as better for ancestral rites, reflection, and certain vratas than for marriages or house-warming. It is not “bad” in itself — it has a different ritual purpose than Purnima or festive tithis.
What is Somvati Amavasya?
When Amavasya falls on a Monday (Somavar), many North Indian calendars call it Somvati Amavasya. Holy baths, peepal worship, and charity are popular folk observances on that combination.
Can I use an Indian Amavasya date while living abroad?
Prefer local sunrise Amavasya or your temple’s published date. The Moon–Sun conjunction is global, but the civil “Amavasya day” depends on local sunrise and calendar date.
Sunrise Amavasya is computed from Vedic astronomical ephemeris for each city. Printed regional panchangs can differ by a few minutes or a day — confirm with your family or temple tradition.