Pitru Paksha starts from the full moon date of Shukla Paksha in Bhadra month. Pitru Paksha lasts till the Amavasya date of Krishna Paksha of Ashwin month. Pitru Paksha has great importance in Hinduism. Pitru Paksha is also known as Shradh Paksha. Shradh and Tarpan of ancestors are performed in Pitru Paksha. According to religious beliefs, ancestors attain salvation by doing work related to ancestors during Pitru Paksha. Pitru Paksha will start as soon as Snandaan Purnima starts on 17 September 2024. Pitru Paksha will start from 17 September and will last till 2 October. According to Brahma Purana, man should worship ancestors and offer them tarpan. The debt of ancestors can be repaid through Shradh.
By offering tarpan, the souls of ancestors get peace
During Shraadh, first of all, after taking bath in the morning, offering water to ancestors by taking water, kusha, rice, sesame seeds etc. in hand is called tarpan. After this, meditating on ancestors with folded hands, inviting them and praying to drink water. It is believed that by offering tarpan, the soul of ancestors gets peace. Along with this, the person also gets their blessings. One should sing bhajans of God. After this, one should remember the ancestors and bow to them and remember their qualities.
Food is offered to the ancestors through Pind Daan
Pind Daan means donating food to our ancestors. It is believed that during Pitru Paksha, our ancestors come in the form of cow, dog, well, ant or gods and consume food. Therefore, there is a rule of taking out five portions of food during Pitru Paksha. During Pind Daan, round shaped balls are made by kneading barley or rice flour for the deceased. Therefore, it is called Pind Daan.
