Sarva Pitru Amavasya 2026 falls on Saturday, 10 October 2026. In Dubai the shraddha is performed in the Kutup muhurat, 11:43 AM to 12:30 PM, and can continue through the Aparahna Kaal until 3:37 PM. It is the last day of Pitru Paksha and the one day on which every ancestor can be remembered, whatever the date of their passing.

For families in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman it lands on a Saturday this year, which makes the midday window easy to keep at home. The next morning, Sunday 11 October, is Ghatasthapana and the start of Sharad Navratri, so this is also the day most homes finish the shraddha and clean the mandir for the Devi.

Sarva Pitru Amavasya 2026: UAE date and muhurat

All timings below are for Dubai, Gulf Standard Time. Sharjah and Ajman run about a minute ahead and Abu Dhabi about four minutes behind.

Why the UAE timing is not the Indian timing

Shraddha muhurats are built from local sunrise and sunset. Kutup is the eighth of the fifteen muhurats of the day, and Aparahna is the fourth fifth of daylight, so both move with the sun. Dubai's day starts roughly an hour and a half after India's on the clock, which is why the Indian times printed on most panchang apps would put a UAE family in the wrong window. Use the Dubai timings above, or our UAE festival calendar for your emirate.

What Sarva Pitru Amavasya is

Pitru Paksha 2026 runs from 26 September to 10 October. On each of those days the shraddha is offered for ancestors who passed away on the matching tithi. Sarva Pitru Amavasya, also called Mahalaya Amavasya, is the closing day and belongs to all of them.

It is kept for three reasons. It covers anyone whose date of death is not known. It covers anyone whose tithi shraddha was missed earlier in the fortnight. And it is the day on which the pitrus are traditionally sent back with gratitude, which is why so many families treat it as the single most important shraddha of the year. If you performed the Pratipada Shraddha or another tithi shraddha earlier this Pitru Paksha, the Amavasya offering still stands on its own.

Sarva Pitru Amavasya shraddha vidhi at home

Most families in the UAE keep a simple home shraddha rather than a full ritual with a priest. The core has not changed in generations.

1. Bath and clean clothes in the morning. The person offering the shraddha, usually the eldest son or any family member where there is none, keeps a light fast until the offering is done.
2. Set up facing south. South is the direction of the pitrus. Spread a clean cloth, place a photo of the ancestors if you have one, and light a ghee or sesame oil diya.
3. Wear the pavitri. A ring of kusha grass on the ring finger of the right hand purifies the offering. Men who wear the janeu shift it to the right shoulder (apasavya) for the tarpan.
4. Tarpan. Mix water with black sesame, a few grains of rice and a drop of Gangajal. Pour it through the base of the right thumb, the pitru tirtha of the palm, three times for each ancestor while saying their name and gotra.
5. Pind daan. Shape three small balls of cooked rice mixed with black sesame, ghee and honey, and offer them on kusha or a banana leaf.
6. Panchbali and bhojan. Set aside five small portions of the cooked meal for the cow, the dog, the crow, the ants and the devas, then feed a Brahmin or make a food donation, and only then eat as a family.

For the tarpan

The three things every home shraddha needs, delivered across the UAE.

Kali Til (Black Sesame) for Pitru Tarpan and Til Daan

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Kusha Grass Pavitri Ring (Set of 10)

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Gangajal (100 ml)

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Keeping the shraddha in a UAE home

The crow portion. In India the kaak bali is simply left on the roof. In a Dubai or Sharjah apartment families place it on the balcony ledge, or carry it to a nearby park where birds gather. The intention matters more than which bird arrives first.

The cow portion. Very few families here can reach a cow. The accepted practice is to set the go-grasa aside and give it, with the rest of the donated food, to someone who needs a meal.

Feeding a Brahmin. Where there is no priest to invite, many families sponsor a meal through their temple or community association, or donate cooked food and groceries. Anna daan on this day is itself counted as part of the shraddha.

What to cook for the shraddha meal

The meal is sattvik: no onion, no garlic, no meat, eggs or alcohol in the house that day. Families cook what the ancestor they remember most liked to eat, within those rules. Kheer is almost universal, because rice and milk are the foods of the pitrus. Puri, a dry sabzi of pumpkin or arbi, urad dal vada or dal, and a simple sweet complete most North Indian thalis, while South Indian homes keep vada, payasam and a plain rice meal.

Black sesame goes into the pind and the tarpan water, and many families also offer til ladoos. Keep the first portion aside for the panchbali before anyone eats.

For the one offering the shraddha

The janeu is moved to the right shoulder for tarpan.

Janeu (White Sacred Thread)

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From Amavasya to Navratri

Sarva Pitru Amavasya closes the fortnight of the ancestors, and Navratri opens the fortnight of the goddess the very next morning. That is why the traditional advice is to finish the shraddha, clean the house and the mandir that evening, and set out the kalash and jau tray for Ghatasthapana on Sunday 11 October. If you are still putting together your Navratri samagri, start with the Navratri 2026 guide for the UAE, and for the next vrat after this one see Indira Ekadashi, which falls inside Pitru Paksha on 6 October.

Frequently asked questions

When is Sarva Pitru Amavasya 2026 in the UAE?

Saturday, 10 October 2026. The Amavasya tithi runs in Dubai from 08:05 PM on Friday 9 October to 07:49 PM on Saturday 10 October, and the shraddha is performed on the Saturday.

What is the best time for shraddha on Sarva Pitru Amavasya in Dubai?

The Kutup muhurat, 11:43 AM to 12:30 PM. Rohina muhurat follows until 01:16 PM, and the Aparahna Kaal runs from 01:16 PM to 03:37 PM. Any of the three is acceptable; Kutup is considered the best.

Why is the Dubai muhurat different from the one on Indian websites?

Every shraddha muhurat is calculated from local sunrise and sunset. Indian sites publish times for Indian cities in IST, which do not match Dubai's sunrise at 06:15 AM and sunset at 05:57 PM. Always use timings set to your UAE city.

Who should perform shraddha on this day?

Anyone who wants to honour their ancestors. It is especially important for families who do not know an ancestor's date of death, or who missed the tithi shraddha earlier in Pitru Paksha.

Can women perform the shraddha?

Yes. Where there is no son, a daughter, wife or any family member can offer tarpan and pind daan. Many families also have women lead the cooking and the panchbali while a male relative does the tarpan.

What if we cannot do a full pind daan at home?

Offer tarpan with water, black sesame and kusha, light a diya facing south, remember each ancestor by name, and donate a meal. A simple offering made with a clear intention is complete.

Is Sarva Pitru Amavasya the same as Mahalaya?

Yes, it is also called Mahalaya Amavasya. In Bengal the same day is Mahalaya, which marks the invocation of Durga before Durga Puja.

Can we start Navratri preparations on Sarva Pitru Amavasya?

Finish the shraddha first. Once the offering is done, cleaning the home and mandir in the evening for Ghatasthapana the next morning is the traditional sequence.