Amavasya 2029 dates
The new-moon day, kept each month for remembering ancestors.
Dates and times for New Delhi, India
Every Amavasya of 2029
| Date | Name | Tithi | Puja time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 14 January 2029 | Magha Amavasya | 10:47 PM, 13 Jan – 10:54 PM, 14 Jan | |
| Monday, 12 February 2029 | Phalguna Amavasya | 2:34 PM, 12 Feb – 4:01 PM, 13 Feb | |
| Wednesday, 14 March 2029 | Chaitra Amavasya | 7:33 AM, 14 Mar – 9:49 AM, 15 Mar | |
| Friday, 13 April 2029 | Vaishakha Amavasya · Adhik maas | 12:42 AM, 13 Apr – 3:10 AM, 14 Apr | |
| Sunday, 13 May 2029 | Vaishakha Amavasya | 5:10 PM, 12 May – 7:12 PM, 13 May | |
| Monday, 11 June 2029 | Jyeshtha Amavasya | 8:17 AM, 11 Jun – 9:20 AM, 12 Jun | |
| Wednesday, 11 July 2029 | Ashadha Amavasya | 9:39 PM, 10 Jul – 9:21 PM, 11 Jul | |
| Thursday, 9 August 2029 | Shravana Amavasya | 9:10 AM, 9 Aug – 7:25 AM, 10 Aug | |
| Saturday, 8 September 2029 | Bhadrapada Amavasya | 7:12 PM, 7 Sept – 4:14 PM, 8 Sept | |
| Sunday, 7 October 2029 | Ashwin Amavasya | 4:26 AM, 7 Oct – 12:44 AM, 8 Oct | |
| Monday, 5 November 2029 | Kartika Amavasya | 1:45 PM, 5 Nov – 9:54 AM, 6 Nov | |
| Wednesday, 5 December 2029 | Margashirsha Amavasya | 11:47 PM, 4 Dec – 8:22 PM, 5 Dec |
How it is kept
Tarpan and offerings for ancestors, charity, and a quiet day; new beginnings are traditionally left for the bright half.
Why it is kept
Amavasya, the new-moon day, is the ancestors' (pitru) day in tradition. The Garuda Purana and the dharmashastras set it apart for tarpan and shraddha, offerings that remember those who came before. It is also a day for charity and quiet, and Diwali's Lakshmi Puja falls on an Amavasya.
How it is kept, step by step
- An early bath, in a river or holy water where possible; Somvati Amavasya draws crowds to the Ganga and to holy tanks.
- Tarpan for the ancestors: water with black sesame (til) and kusha grass, offered facing south, each remembered by name.
- Food given in the ancestors' name, to those in need, with a share for crows, cows and dogs.
- A lamp under a peepal tree in the evening, and in many homes a lamp at the door.
- A quiet day: tradition leaves new ventures, travel and celebrations for the bright half of the month.
The fast
Amavasya is not a fast for everyone. Some keep a fast until the tarpan is done, or eat one simple meal without onion and garlic; in many regions women fast on Somvati Amavasya and walk around a peepal tree. Fast as your health allows: children, elders, pregnant women and anyone unwell traditionally keep a lighter fast, and anyone with a medical condition should ask their doctor first.
Amavasyas with names of their own
- Somvati Amavasya
- An Amavasya on a Monday, kept with a holy bath and the worship of Shiva and the peepal tree.
- Shani Amavasya
- An Amavasya on a Saturday, when Shani is worshipped with sesame oil and a lamp.
- Mauni Amavasya
- In Magha: kept in silence (maun), with the holy dip at the Sangam during the Magha Mela.
- Shani Jayanti
- Jyeshtha Amavasya in North India, Shani's birth; Vat Savitri is kept on the same day there.
- Hariyali Amavasya
- Shravana Amavasya in North India, when trees are planted and worshipped.
- Pithori Amavasya
- Shravana Amavasya in the amanta calendar of Maharashtra: mothers pray for their children, and farmers honour their bullocks on Bail Pola.
- Sarva Pitru Amavasya
- The last day of Pitru Paksha (Ashwin Amavasya; Bhadrapada in the amanta calendar), for all the ancestors, including those whose date is not known.
- Diwali Amavasya
- Kartika Amavasya (Ashwin in the amanta calendar): the Lakshmi Puja of Diwali.
Across India
In Tamil Nadu the new moon is Amavasai; Aadi Amavasai and Thai Amavasai are the great days for tarpan at Rameswaram, Kanyakumari and on river banks. In Bengal the Amavasya of Diwali is Kali Puja. In the North, Mauni Amavasya brings millions to the Sangam at Prayag.
Questions
What is Amavasya?
The new-moon day, kept each month for remembering ancestors.
How is Amavasya kept?
Tarpan and offerings for ancestors, charity, and a quiet day; new beginnings are traditionally left for the bright half.
Why does the Amavasya date differ between calendars?
Each calendar computes for a place: a tithi that begins or ends near sunrise (or moonrise, or the evening) can fall on different civil days in different cities. These dates are for the city shown; choose yours above.
Is Amavasya inauspicious?
Tradition keeps new beginnings, such as weddings and house-warmings, for the bright half of the month, but Amavasya is not a day to fear. It is a day for remembering ancestors, for charity and prayer, and Diwali's Lakshmi Puja itself falls on an Amavasya.
Why is Amavasya the day for ancestors?
Tradition holds the new moon to be the ancestors' own day, so tarpan and shraddha are offered on it; the Garuda Purana and the dharmashastras describe these rites. Many families offer tarpan every Amavasya, and for all their ancestors on Sarva Pitru Amavasya.
What is Somvati Amavasya?
An Amavasya that falls on a Monday, which happens a few times a year. It is kept with a holy bath and the worship of Shiva, and by many women with a fast and walks around a peepal tree.
Can tarpan be offered at home?
Yes: tarpan is traditionally offered at home with water, black sesame and kusha grass, facing south, remembering each ancestor by name. A family priest can guide a full shraddha if you wish.