Amavasya (new moon)
Amavasya is the new-moon tithi, the 30th tithi and the last of the dark half (Krishna paksha). It is a day for honouring ancestors, and in the amanta calendar it ends the lunar month.
Also known as: Amavas, Amavasai, Amas, Amavasi, Darsha, New moon tithi
Amavasya covers the last 12° before the Moon catches up with the Sun, ending at the exact new moon, when the Moon cannot be seen. The panchang names the day by the tithi at sunrise. Amavasya ends each month in the amanta calendar used in Gujarat, Maharashtra and the South.
It is the traditional day for tarpan and shraddha for ancestors, which are offered in the afternoon (aparahna); the day Amavasya covers that time is called Darsha Amavasya, and our Panchang marks it beside the Amavasya named by sunrise. Some Amavasyas carry special weight: Mahalaya (Sarva Pitru) Amavasya at the end of Pitru Paksha, Mauni Amavasya in Magha, and Somvati and Shani Amavasya when the day falls on a Monday or a Saturday.
Amavasya is generally avoided for weddings and other celebrations, but it is not a dark or frightening day. Diwali’s Lakshmi Puja is performed on Amavasya, and many people use it for quiet prayer, charity and reflection.