🌑 2 January 2026 – Pausha Amavasya (New Moon Day)
🕉️ Introduction
Pausha Amavasya, falling on Friday, 2 January 2026, marks the New Moon Day (Amavasya Tithi) in the Hindu month of Pausha. Amavasya is considered a highly spiritual and sacred day for ancestor worship (Pitru Tarpan), charity, and purification rituals. On this day, devotees perform holy baths, observe fasts, and offer prayers to their forefathers to attain peace and blessings.
🌕 Spiritual Significance of Pausha Amavasya
Amavasya represents the end of the lunar cycle, symbolizing darkness, silence, and introspection. In Hindu philosophy, it is a time to cleanse negative energies and invite light into one’s life.
Pausha Amavasya is particularly significant because it falls during the winter month, when spiritual austerities and penances are believed to yield tenfold merit (punya).
It is also an auspicious time to perform:
- Pitru Tarpan and Shraddha rituals
- Snan-Daan (holy bath and donation)
- Deep Daan (lighting lamps for ancestors)
In South India, this day aligns with the Maargazhi Amavasya, when devotees worship Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva for family well-being and prosperity.
🌸 Rituals and Traditions
- Holy Bath (Snan):
Early morning bath in a sacred river or at home with Ganga water is recommended. - Ancestor Worship:
Offer water (Tarpan), sesame seeds, and Kusha grass to forefathers with devotion. - Charity (Daan):
Giving food, clothes, and blankets to Brahmins and the needy brings blessings. - Lighting Diyas (Deep Daan):
Lighting lamps in the evening removes negativity and brings divine grace. - Fasting (Vrat):
Many devotees observe an Amavasya Vrat to control the mind and purify the soul.
🪔 Religious and Regional Observances
- In North India, Pausha Amavasya is celebrated as an ideal day for Pitra Puja and spiritual cleansing.
- In South India, it is associated with Vishnu and Shiva worship and the beginning of new spiritual vows.
- In Maharashtra, people perform Tulsi Puja and offer special Deep Daan near rivers.
💫 Benefits of Observing Pausha Amavasya
- Brings peace to ancestors (Pitru Moksha)
- Removes financial and family obstacles
- Strengthens spiritual resolve and self-control
- Attracts positivity, prosperity, and harmony
📿 Mantra for the Day
“Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”
“Om Namah Shivaya”
“Om Pitridevaya Namah”
Reciting these mantras with devotion purifies the environment and connects one with divine vibrations.
📅 Pausha Amavasya 2026 Tithi Timings
🗓️ Date: Friday, 2 January 2026
🕰️ Amavasya Tithi Begins: 09:52 PM, January 1, 2026
🕰️ Amavasya Tithi Ends: 11:45 PM, January 2, 2026
🔱 Conclusion
Pausha Amavasya is a time for spiritual reflection, self-discipline, and ancestral reverence. Observing fasts and prayers on this sacred day helps in cleansing one’s karmic burden and inviting peace and light into life.
Panchang Official