Madhyamashtami 2004

Madhyamashtami is an Ashtaka Shraddha, an ancestor-remembrance rite performed on Krishna Ashtami of Bhadrapada in the amanta reckoning. It is the middle observance in a traditional cycle of Ashtaka Shraddhas performed across the year.

The rite honors three ancestral triads together with their spouses: the paternal triad (father, grandfather, and great-grandfather), the maternal triad, and the maternal-grandfather's triad. Offerings and remembrance are extended to all nine in a single observance.

As with other Shraddha days, the rite typically involves tarpana (water offerings), pinda daana, and the feeding of Brahmins and family members in honor of departed ancestors.