Panchami Shraddha 2026 (Kunwara Panchami): Shraddha for Those Who Died Unmarried

Panchami shraddha in 2026 is on Wednesday, 30 September, the same day as Chaturthi shraddha. Panchami is the day the tradition sets aside for ancestors who passed away unmarried — which is why it is called Kunwara Panchami — as well as for anyone who died on a Panchami tithi.

• Date: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
• Panchami tithi: 2:56 PM on 30 September to 12:36 PM on 1 October
• Chaturthi tithi: 5:11 PM on 29 September to 2:56 PM on 30 September
• Kutup muhurat: 11:47 AM – 12:34 PM
• Rauhina muhurat: 12:34 PM – 1:22 PM
• Aparahna: 1:22 PM – 3:45 PM
• Times: Delhi

Who is honoured on Panchami

Two groups of ancestors are remembered on this day. The first is everyone who passed away on a Panchami tithi, in either half of the lunar month. The second, and the reason for the day's popular name, is those who died before marriage — sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, who left no spouse or children of their own to perform their shraddha. On Kunwara Panchami their parents and siblings take up that duty.

The rites themselves are the ordinary shraddha rites. What sets the day apart is for whom they are offered, and the particular tenderness with which families remember a life that ended early.

Why Chaturthi and Panchami share Wednesday

A shraddha belongs to the tithi that holds the afternoon (Aparahna). On Wednesday, 30 September the Aparahna in Delhi runs from 1:22 PM to 3:45 PM. Chaturthi holds its first part and ends at 2:56 PM; Panchami begins at that moment and holds the rest. On Thursday, Panchami ends at 12:36 PM — before Thursday's Aparahna begins at 1:21 PM. Panchami therefore never holds an afternoon of its own, and its shraddha is performed on Wednesday alongside Chaturthi.

This is how sixteen tithi shraddhas fit into fifteen days in 2026; the whole fortnight is laid out in the shraddha calendar for 2026.

If your panchang says Thursday

Some local panchangs place Panchami shraddha on Thursday, 1 October, because Panchami is the tithi at sunrise that day. The difference is one of rule, not of error: the Aparahna rule gives Wednesday, the sunrise reading gives Thursday. If your family has always followed a particular panchang, follow it. If you have no family practice, Wednesday is what most published lists give, and it is the day on which Panchami actually holds part of the afternoon.

How to perform the shraddha

Bathe early, and in the Kutup muhurat, which begins at 11:47 AM, offer tarpan facing south with water, black sesame and kusha grass, then the pinda and the meal prepared for the departed. A portion is set aside for a cow, a dog and the crows, and a Brahmin is fed and given dakshina. Complete the rites before the Aparahna ends at 3:45 PM. The full procedure is in the Pitru Paksha 2026 guide.

Because Chaturthi shraddha falls on the same afternoon, a family observing both performs them one after the other within the same window. Many close with the Pitra Chalisa.

If the shraddha is missed

A Panchami shraddha that cannot be performed on Wednesday is offered on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, Saturday, 10 October, the day the tradition keeps for every ancestor — see Sarva Pitru Amavasya 2026.

Frequently asked questions

When is Panchami shraddha in 2026?
On Wednesday, 30 September 2026, together with Chaturthi shraddha. Panchami begins at 2:56 PM that day and ends at 12:36 PM on Thursday.

What is Kunwara Panchami?
It is the popular name for Panchami shraddha in Pitru Paksha, the day on which ancestors who died unmarried are remembered, along with everyone who passed away on a Panchami tithi.

Why do some calendars show Panchami shraddha on 1 October?
Because Panchami is the tithi at sunrise on Thursday, 1 October. Shraddha follows the tithi of the afternoon, and on Thursday Panchami is over by 12:36 PM, before the afternoon begins — so most lists give Wednesday.

Can Chaturthi and Panchami shraddha be done on the same day?
Yes. In 2026 both fall on Wednesday, 30 September. A family observing both performs them one after the other within the Kutup to Aparahna window.

What is the muhurat for Panchami shraddha 2026?
In Delhi, Kutup is 11:47 AM to 12:34 PM, Rauhina 12:34 PM to 1:22 PM, and the Aparahna 1:22 PM to 3:45 PM.