Kushotpatini Amavasya (Kushagrahani Amavasya) falls on the day of Bhadrapada Amavasya, Amavasya tithi in Bhadrapada Month as per North Indian Hindi calendars. In 2026, Kushotpatini Amavasya date is September 11.
This Amavasya coincides with Shravan Amavasya according to Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati and Kannada calendars (Amavasyant Panchangas).
On Kushotpatini Amavasya day, Kusha is produced for all the religious functions, Shraddha rituals for the year. If Amavasya prevail during the forenoon, then only it is referred to as Kushotpatini Amavas.
Spiritual Significance
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Annual Ritual Sanctity: In Vedic tradition, ceremonies such as Yagyas, Shraddha, and daily prayers require kusha for mats (kushasana) and rings (pavitri) worn during sanctification rituals. While ordinary cut grass quickly loses ritual purity, kusha harvested on this Amavasya is traditionally believed to retain its spiritual potency for twelve full months. If the tithi falls on a Monday (Somvati Amavasya), it is said to remain potent for twelve years.
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Gateway to Pitru Paksha: Bhadrapada Amavasya is the final new moon before the start of Pitru Paksha (the ancestral fortnight). Gathering clean kusha ensures households and priests have the essential material ready for daily Pitru Tarpan (water oblations) and Pind Daan.
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Trimurti Abode: According to the scriptures, the sacred grass embodies the divine trinity: Lord Brahma resides at the roots, Lord Vishnu in the middle stem, and Lord Shiva (Rudra) at the pointed tip.
Rules for Uprooting the Grass (Kushotpatan Vidhi)
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Sunrise Timing: Harvesting must occur in the morning hours after a ritual bath, usually facing East or North.
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No Metal Tools: The blades must never be cut with an iron sickle, blade, or knife. They are pulled directly by the right hand with a clean, single pull.
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Unbroken Tips: The tips of the blades must remain completely intact; grass that breaks or tears at the point is deemed ritually unfit (akshat requirement).
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Mantra Recitation: The practitioner first seeks permission from Mother Earth (Medini), reciting the traditional invocation, followed by “Om Hum Phat” as the grass is pulled from the ground.
Regional Observances on the Same Day
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Pithori Amavasya: In Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Northern India, mothers observe a fast on this day, praying to the 64 Yoginis (often sculpted from flour dough) for the health and prosperity of their children.
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Pola / Bail Pola: In rural Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, this day is celebrated as a thanksgiving festival for bullocks and cattle, decorating them and giving them rest from all farm work.