Kanya Sankranti 2026

Dates in 2026

• Fri, 18 Sept, 2026 — Sun enters Kanya (Virgo), beginning the Pitru Paksha period. Extremely important for pitru tarpana and shraddha. Dana of food and dakshina to Brahmins is highly meritorious.

  Kanya Sankrantiकन्या संक्रान्ति

  yearly06:27 – 18:37

  sankrantipitrutarpana

  Sources (2)

  • Muhurta Chintamani — Sankranti-prakarana (Shadashiti and Vishnupadi sankranti), verse 8 (Pyarelal Mishra Hindi ed., lines 2348-2374) — 'षडशीत्यानने ... परा नाड्योऽतिपुण्यदाः'Kanya, Mithuna, Mina, Dhanu sankrantis classed as Shadashiti — 16 post-sankranti ghatikas are ati-punya for snana/dana/tarpana.
  • Narada Purana — Purvabhaga, Sankranti-punyakala-vichara, Sankranti-punyakala section (Sankshipta ed., lines 14751-14800) — 'कन्या, मिथुन, मीन और धनकी संक्रान्तियोंमें बादकी सोलह घटिकाएँ पुण्यदायक जाननी चाहिये'Explicitly fixes Kanya-sankranti's 16 post-sankranti ghatikas as the punyakala — start of Pitru Paksha begins here, making pitru-tarpana ati-shreshtha.

Authoritative source