When is Deep Amavasya in 2026?

Wednesday, 12 August 2026 (Ashadh Krishna Amavasya), also called "Darsha Thanavayi Amavasya" in the panchang.

Are Deep Amavasya and Gatari Amavasya the same day?

Yes, the same day (Ashadh Amavasya) — "Gatari" is a popular but non-scriptural name tied to meat/alcohol customs; deep pujan is the day's scripturally-grounded core.

How should deep pujan be done on Deep Amavasya?

The lamps at home are cleaned, an altar set up, and worship done with turmeric-kumkum — details are in the puja vidhi section above.

Where does the name "Gatari" come from?

There's no consensus — some say it's a corruption of "Gatahari" (gata+ahar, meaning "no more of this heavy food from here on"); some respected sources reject the word "Gatari" as incorrect altogether. No single etymology is firmly established.

Why does Shravan begin right after Ashadh Amavasya?

Ashadh Krishna Amavasya is the final tithi of the Ashadh month; under the amanta system (followed in Maharashtra), the new month — Shravan — begins from the next Pratipada.

Why is the kankecha diva lit for ancestors?

A jaggery-mixed wheat-flour lamp placed facing south is believed, by tradition, to light the ancestors' path toward Yama's abode — not a scriptural claim.

Why is tarpan done on Darsha Amavasya?

The moon isn't visible on Amavasya, so this is considered a special day for connecting with ancestors' souls — bathing and offering water and sesame seeds to ancestors (tarpan) is considered meritorious. The detailed ritual is on the Sarvapitri Amavasya page.

Deep Amavasya

Deep Amavasya is Ashadh Krishna Amavasya — the last day of the Ashadh month, one day before Shravan begins. The panchang also calls this day "Darsha Thanavayi Amavasya." The main ritual is cleaning and worshipping every lamp in the home — this is called deep pujan. In some places, this day is also popularly (but not scripturally) called "Gatari Amavasya." In 2026, this tithi falls on Wednesday, 12 August.

Deity: Agni/deep-pujan (primary); ancestor remembrance (secondary)

This year's dates (2026)

Wednesday; the panchang also calls this day 'Darsha Thanavayi Amavasya'; Shravan begins the very next day (13 August)Wednesday, 12 August 2026

Significance

Deep pujan / gratitude to Agni is the core of this day. On Ashadh Amavasya, every metal lamp in the home — the samai, nirajan, panti — is scrubbed clean and then worshipped. This is regarded as a day of expressing gratitude toward the principle of light/fire.

Since this is the last day of the Ashadh month, it also carries significance as the gateway to Chaturmas/Shravan — many traditions hold that from the very next day, the fasting rules of Shravan and Chaturmas (avoiding meat, onion-garlic, etc.) begin.

In some traditions, a lamp is made from wheat flour or jowar flour mixed with jaggery and placed facing south — a traditional belief that it symbolically lights the ancestors' path toward Yama's abode, not a scriptural claim. This lamp is later also offered as naivedya. The detailed ancestor-tarpan ritual is covered on the Sarvapitri Amavasya page — the kankecha-diva mention here is kept brief.

In some (especially urban) communities, this day is popularly known as "Gatari Amavasya" and marked with meat and alcohol, as the "last day" before these are avoided through Shravan — this name is not religious or scripture-based, just popular usage, and the custom is not universal across all Marathi households. For many families, this day is simply one of deep pujan.

Remembering ancestors (Darsha Amavasya)

The moon isn't visible on Amavasya, and every month's Amavasya — not just Ashadh's — is considered especially auspicious for remembering ancestors; it's believed to be a special day for connecting with ancestors' souls. Devotees bathe early in the morning and offer water and sesame seeds to their ancestors, a rite called tarpan; some keep a fast or eat a simple satvik meal, and giving food to those in need is also considered meritorious. The detailed tarpan ritual is covered on the Sarvapitri Amavasya page — this is just the general ancestor-remembrance significance of a Darsha Amavasya.

Who observes it

Deep pujan is generally performed in homes across the board — no source found any claim of a specific gender/age restriction.

The legend

This day does not have a specific, standalone legend (a birth/avatar or god-demon story) attached to it. This day is chiefly driven by significance and custom — gratitude through deep pujan, and marking the close of Ashadh and the threshold of Chaturmas — that's the basis on which its importance rests.

Puja vidhi

Tarpan (optional, for ancestor remembrance): An early-morning bath is taken, then water and sesame seeds are offered to ancestors.
Cleaning: Every metal lamp in the home (samai, nirajan, panti) is scrubbed and polished clean.
Setting up the altar: In the evening, the puja space is cleaned, a wooden plank set out, fresh cloth spread, and rangoli drawn around it.
Arranging the lamps: All the lamps are arranged, with wicks and oil filled in.
Deep pujan: The lamps are worshipped with turmeric-kumkum.
Naivedya: A sweet offering of puran or puran-poli-like food is presented.
Kankecha diva (optional, for ancestor remembrance): A lamp made of wheat or jowar flour mixed with jaggery is placed facing south.

The exact evening timing varies by location/tradition — check the 12 August day page for the tithi's start/end times.

What you need

Samai/nirajan/panti (every lamp available at home), oil and wicks, turmeric-kumkum, flowers, rangoli, puran or other sweets for naivedya, an optional kankecha diva. (Materials can vary by family/local tradition.)

Samai lamp

Niranjan lamp

Panti / kankecha diva lamp

Turmeric-kumkum

Flowers

Rangoli

Puran naivedya

Mantra

No specific mantra or shloka for deep pujan was found in any researched source — only a general description of worshipping the lamps with turmeric-kumkum.

Regional customs

The panchang also calls this day "Thanavayi Amavasya" — no independent source could verify the exact meaning/origin of this term, so it's recorded here only as an alternate panchang name.

Sources don't agree on where the name "Gatari" comes from (some say it's a corruption of an older word, "Gatahari"; some respected sources reject the name altogether) — that detail is kept brief in the FAQ below rather than expanded here.

Good to know

Clean and worship the lamps at home, mentally prepare for Shravan's fasting rules, and if you wish, keep a kankecha-diva naivedya.
How this day is observed varies by household/tradition — many families mark it only with deep pujan.

FAQ

When is Deep Amavasya in 2026?: Wednesday, 12 August 2026 (Ashadh Krishna Amavasya), also called "Darsha Thanavayi Amavasya" in the panchang.
Are Deep Amavasya and Gatari Amavasya the same day?: Yes, the same day (Ashadh Amavasya) — "Gatari" is a popular but non-scriptural name tied to meat/alcohol customs; deep pujan is the day's scripturally-grounded core.
How should deep pujan be done on Deep Amavasya?: The lamps at home are cleaned, an altar set up, and worship done with turmeric-kumkum — details are in the puja vidhi section above.
Where does the name "Gatari" come from?: There's no consensus — some say it's a corruption of "Gatahari" (gata+ahar, meaning "no more of this heavy food from here on"); some respected sources reject the word "Gatari" as incorrect altogether. No single etymology is firmly established.
Why does Shravan begin right after Ashadh Amavasya?: Ashadh Krishna Amavasya is the final tithi of the Ashadh month; under the amanta system (followed in Maharashtra), the new month — Shravan — begins from the next Pratipada.
Why is the kankecha diva lit for ancestors?: A jaggery-mixed wheat-flour lamp placed facing south is believed, by tradition, to light the ancestors' path toward Yama's abode — not a scriptural claim.
Why is tarpan done on Darsha Amavasya?: The moon isn't visible on Amavasya, so this is considered a special day for connecting with ancestors' souls — bathing and offering water and sesame seeds to ancestors (tarpan) is considered meritorious. The detailed ritual is on the Sarvapitri Amavasya page.