This is a special ritual in Hindu tradition which aims at paying tribute to ancestors and seeking their blessings. The festival lasts for 15 days as per the lunar calendar, sometime in the month of Bhadrapada. To repay their kindness and ask for their help, a series of rituals such as Tarpan, Shradh and Pind Daan are performed in this period. So, keep your distance from people in case of infection.
Show due respect in Shradh Rituals
The Shradh ritual of offering food and water to ancestors is the main avocation during Pitru Paksha. Here are few steps to do it well.
Consult a Pandit : During Pitru Paksha the main ritual performed is known as Shradh. This is done by feeding the deceased (Pind Daan) with food and water. It is must to have a friendly local pandit or an elderly well knowledgeable in the rituals around you.
Find the right Tithi : It is optimum method to perform every dead person Shradh on the Tithi as their date of death. For example, if someone died on the third day of lunar Calendar then their Shradh should be performed either on that Tithi in Pitru Paksha. The last day of Pitru Paksha which is called Sarva Pitru Amavasya, for those cannot offer Shradh on Tithi specific to their ancestors.
Food to be Offered
The Pitru Paksha rituals involve food courts. During this time period you will need to follow the following guidelines for it.
Simple and Sattvic Food: Food has a great contribution in Pitru Paksha Karmas. The food which will be cooked must be sattvic (unadulterated), non-onion, garlic, and non-veg. Rice, dal, kheer, vegetables and fruits are some of the traditional things which you can offer.
Offerings to Brahmins first: When we prepare the food, some of it is first kept aside for Brahmins or those who are needy as a token gift, believing that when you feed them, it’s like you feeding your ancestors.
Avoid food wasting: Keep in mind that not wasting food is signifies regard to the ancestors. so, food must be prepared with care and respect and the offerings should take place in a clean area.
Feeding Cows, Birds, and Dogs: Feeding animals, particularly cows, birds, and dogs is popular in many cultures as a way to honors the spirits of nature and the deceased.
Donation (Daan) and Charity
Donation and Charity holds great importance during Pitru Paksha. When you offer donations, it is believed to give peace of the soul to our ancestors. Here’s how to approach charity during this time:
Donating Essentials: Donation of Clothes, Food, Money, utensils and other essential items to the needy is common. And this gift is believed to be a means of transporting the power of virtue to ancestors and help wash away their leanings into chi (liberation).
Offering to Needy People or Brahmins: Shradh is an annual ritual that food and items are traditionally offered to Brahmins or needy people. Giving alms to the poor, hungry and orphans would be equally beneficial because whatever blessings comes as a result of these charitable acts is shared by both the living descendants and remains with ancestral spirits.
Some Specific Items to Donate: Some Items such as shoes, umbrellas or household goods might be donated to Brahmins in some areas based on what is thought to support their deceased ancestors’ passage after death.
Things To Not Do During Pitru Paksha
These are few instructions what you must avoid during this time.
Avoid Activities During Pitru Paksha: Pitru Paksha is known as not a good time for many works. So that some of the activities need to avoid during Pitru Paksha are:
Escape New Beginning: It is said that this period is inauspicious for starting any new venture like opening new deals, buying land, moving to a new house. Pitru Paksha is considered a time to respect the past, not begin the new.
No Festive Occasions: Weddings, Housewarming ceremonies and all other festive events are also Mandatorily postponed till after Pitru Paksha. Using this time wisely, focusing on simplicity, respect and remembering the ancestors.
Avoid Non-Vegetarian Food and Alcohol: No form of consumption either non-vegetarian food or alcohol can be done in Pitru Paksha. A sattvic lifestyle during the fortnight helps in preserving purity and focus on spirituality.
Reverence and Humility
Pitru Paksha is not just about the rites but a feeling of subservience and gratitude towards our forefathers. Check out the best spiritual attitude you need to develop during this period.
Express Gratitude: Pitru Paksha is all about paying respects to your ancestors, the good deeds they would have had put through and the sacrifices that they might have made. A time to be grateful for the life they have given you and all of the opportunities their hard work has passed down your way.
Ask for forgiveness: Our ancestors might have grievances or unfulfilled desires that is making them spiritually unhappy. In Pitru Paksha rituals, they are forgiven and supported by all unresolved issues.
Create a Peaceful Environment: Keep your house neat and calm, do not get involved in useless fights, violent clashes or rude behavior. The ambiance of the home has to match the respect that we are extending to those souls.
Importance of Cleaning and Purity
During Pitru Paksha, cleanliness and purity are kept to be very important. This may either be referred to as inner or outer cleanliness, the ritual requires a clean atmosphere.
Clean Home/House: Shradh karma is to be performed at a place which is clean and free from any distraction. During these 15 days, after Prati pada, a special place for the rituals is made in the house.
Purity: Those performing the rituals must be clean and wear new clothes, typically white or neutral traditional attire as a mark of respect.
Spiritual Cleaning: To keep your mind clean is just as important as a clean body. Meditating, chanting mantras, staying positive are the ways to balance this spiritual energy during this time.
Observe the Right Tithi as per Lunar Calendar
Given that Pitru Paksha is so important, it must be done on the right Tithi (lunar day). In Hindu tradition, death anniversary of family members is observed on the basis of lunar calendar, and it is important to follow the council time for these rituals.
Tithi of the Ancestors: in Pitru Paksha, offer Shradh to an ancestor during the Tithi they died. And if the Tithi is not available, you can feed poor on this day as it is believed to be the most auspicious day of Shradh which falls in the Shukla Paksha off lunar Phases (Sarva Pitru Amavasya).
Conclusion
A time of paying respects and homage to one’s ancestors, Pitru Paksha has great spiritual and cultural relevance. The deceased soul can be given peace, and it is considered that the person will receive blessing by doing every ritual with full of devotion and actively following norms like purity, charity, respect.
