New Moon (Amavasya)
Amavasya Tithi अमावस्या
Amavasya is the new-moon tithi that closes the dark fortnight - a moonless night presided over by the Pitris, the ancestors.
- Presiding deity
- Pitris (ancestors)
- Category
- New moon
- Occurs
- New moon
Significance & observances
A day for honouring ancestors (shraddha, tarpana) and inner reflection; Mahalaya and the Diwali Amavasya are especially significant.
Favorable activities
Best suited to ancestor rites, meditation and introspection; traditionally avoided for auspicious beginnings and travel.