Trayodashi Shraddha 2026: Shraddha for Children Who Passed Away
Trayodashi Shraddha in 2026 is on Thursday, 8 October. Besides honouring everyone who passed away on a Trayodashi tithi, it is the day Pitru Paksha keeps for children — sons and daughters who died young.
- Date: Thursday, 8 October 2026
- Trayodashi tithi: 11:17 PM on 7 October to 10:17 PM on 8 October
- Kutup muhurat: 11:45 AM – 12:31 PM
- Rauhina muhurat: 12:31 PM – 1:18 PM
- Aparahna: 1:18 PM – 3:38 PM
- Times: Delhi
A day for the children of the family
Shraddha is usually thought of as the duty a younger generation owes an older one. Trayodashi reverses that order. On this day parents, and sometimes grandparents, perform the shraddha of children who passed away before them. In parts of Gujarat the day is known as Kakbali.
It is a hard observance, and the tradition treats it gently. Nothing in it asks a grieving family to do more than remember with care: to offer water and food in the child's name, to feed others, and to give.
For very young children, customs differ
Traditions do not agree on the rites for infants and very young children. Some families perform the full shraddha with pinda; others offer water, food and charity in the child's name without the pinda. Your family's practice, or your purohit, is the right guide here, and either way the day is kept.
How the 2026 date was worked out
Trayodashi begins at 11:17 PM on Wednesday, 7 October and ends at 10:17 PM on Thursday, 8 October. It holds the whole of Thursday's afternoon (Aparahna), from 1:18 PM to 3:38 PM — the part of the day that decides a shraddha — so Thursday is the day. The complete fortnight is in the shraddha calendar for 2026.
How families observe it
- An early bath, and the food prepared simply, without onion and garlic.
- Tarpan facing south with water, black sesame and kusha grass in the Kutup muhurat, from 11:45 AM, naming the child.
- Many families feed children on this day — the neighbourhood's, a school's, or those of a temple — and give sweets, books or clothes in the child's name.
- Portions are set aside for a cow, a dog and the crows, and the rites are completed before the Aparahna ends at 3:38 PM.
The general procedure of tarpan and pinda is in the Pitru Paksha 2026 guide.
If the day is missed
A Trayodashi shraddha that could not be performed on Thursday is offered on Sarva Pitru Amavasya, Saturday, 10 October — see Sarva Pitru Amavasya 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When is Trayodashi shraddha in 2026?
On Thursday, 8 October 2026. Trayodashi runs from 11:17 PM on 7 October to 10:17 PM on 8 October and holds the whole of Thursday afternoon.
Why is Trayodashi shraddha associated with children?
The tradition keeps Trayodashi of Pitru Paksha for sons and daughters who passed away young, so that their parents have a day to perform their shraddha. It also honours everyone who died on a Trayodashi tithi.
Is shraddha performed for infants?
Customs differ. Some families perform the full shraddha; others offer water, food and charity in the child's name without the pinda. Follow your family's practice or ask your purohit.
What else do families do on this day?
Many feed children and give sweets, books or clothes in the name of the child who passed away, alongside the tarpan and the offering of food.
What is the muhurat for Trayodashi shraddha 2026?
In Delhi, Kutup is 11:45 AM to 12:31 PM, Rauhina 12:31 PM to 1:18 PM, and the Aparahna 1:18 PM to 3:38 PM.
