Sutak days calculator: when sutak begins and ends
This sutak days calculator works out the first and last day of sutak — the period of ritual impurity a Hindu family may observe after a birth — or of patak, often also called sutak, after a death. Choose the number of days your family keeps: 10, 11, 12 or 13 days are common after a death, and 10 or 40 days after a birth. The page lists every day with its date, shows which day it is today, and the morning on which the period is complete.
Practice differs between communities, regions and families, and texts give different counts for different groups, so this page does not pick one. It counts the days you choose, the way you count them. Please confirm the details with your family priest or elders.
How to use the Sutak Days Calculator
- Choose A death or A birth, and enter the date.
- Say whether it happened after sunrise or after midnight, before sunrise.
- Pick the Number of days your family observes, or type another number.
- Choose whether Day 1 is the day of the event or the day after.
- Read the last day and the day-by-day list, then copy the dates for the family.
Sutak Days Calculator features
Your family’s count
10, 11, 12, 13 or 40 days, or any number up to 60.
Two ways to start
Count the day of the event as day 1, or start the next day.
Sunrise to sunrise
An event before sunrise is counted on the previous date, as the Hindu day begins at sunrise.
Day-by-day table
Every date, with days often marked such as the 10th, 12th and 13th.
Today in the count
Which day of the period today is, or how long until it starts.
How many days of sutak after a death?
Answers differ. Many families observe 13 days, ending with the terahvin; others complete the period on the 10th, 11th or 12th day, with rites such as dashgatra and sapindikaran; some keep a longer period. Dharmashastra texts and later digests give different lengths for different groups and for close and distant relatives, and families today usually follow their own community’s custom. Some Jain families keep a similar count; Sikh teaching rejects the idea of sutak (Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 472).
After a birth, families commonly keep about 10 days before the naming and purification, and the mother often rests for about 40 days. Practices during sutak — for example pausing temple visits, worship at home and festival celebrations — also vary from family to family.
| Count | Often observed after | Example: event on Tue 20 Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 10 days | a death or a birth | last day Thu 29 Oct |
| 11 days | a death | last day Fri 30 Oct |
| 12 days | a death | last day Sat 31 Oct |
| 13 days | a death (terahvin) | last day Sun 1 Nov |
| 40 days | a birth (the mother’s rest) | last day Sat 28 Nov |
Counting the days
In most families the day of the death or birth is day 1; some start the next day. Because the Hindu day begins at sunrise, an event at, say, 3 a.m. belongs to the previous date. The period ends with the last day, and the family usually resumes ordinary observances after a purifying bath the next morning.
Sutak is also used for the hours before an eclipse, which is a different count; see the eclipse calculator. For the yearly shraddha date see the death tithi calculator and the Pitru Paksha dates.
Sutak Days Calculator FAQ
How many days sutak after death?
There is no single answer: 10, 11, 12 and 13 days are all common. Choose your family’s count and the calculator gives the dates.
When does 13 days sutak end?
If day 1 is the day of the death, the 13th day is twelve days later, and the period is complete at sunrise the next morning.
Is the day of death counted in sutak?
In most families yes; some start the next day. Both are offered.
How long is sutak after a birth?
Often about 10 days for the family, and about 40 days of rest for the mother; customs vary.
What are the sutak rules?
They differ by family and community, so ask your family priest or elders; this page only counts the days.
Does sutak apply if the death was far away?
Customs differ for distant relatives and for news that arrives late; ask your family priest.