Gaya Janardan Temple is the only temple where a living person performs their own Shradh (Atma Shraddha), meaning they perform their own Pind Daan while still alive. This temple is situated to the north of the Mangala Gauri Temple on the Bhasma Koot Mountain in Gaya, Bihar. Who Performs the Self Shraddha Pind Daan? Generally, people who have no children or have no one left in their family to perform their Pind Daan come here. Also, those who have renounced worldly life (Vairagya) or those who do not have a family, also perform their Pind Daan at this temple. The belief here is that Lord Janardan himself accepts the Pind offerings, leading the person to liberation (Moksha) and freedom from ancestral debts. Special Features of the Temple The Janardan Temple is an ancient temple, built entirely from rocks. A divine idol of Lord Vishnu in the form of Janardan is enshrined here. At this temple, people perform both their own Pind Daan and the Shradh for their ancestors. The Process ...

Breaking Barriers: Hindu Women's Sacred Right to Perform Ancestral Rituals The Universal Debt to Ancestors Hindu philosophy recognizes three fundamental debts that every human being carries: Rishi Rin (debt to sages), Acharya Rin (debt to teachers), and Matri-Pitri Rin (debt to parents and ancestors). These obligations are universal and gender-neutral. The concept of Pitri Rin acknowledges that we owe our existence, values, and spiritual foundation to those who came before us. If this debt applies equally to all children regardless of gender, then the right to discharge this debt through Tarpan and Shradh rituals must also be universal. Scriptural Support for Women's Participation The Garuda Purana explicitly states that when a woman performs Tarpan with a pure heart and sincere devotion, she receives the complete spiritual benefit and liberates herself from Pitri Rin. This ancient text recognizes no inherent barrier to women performing these sacred duties. The essence of H...

The rites and rituals on the fourteenth day during the Pitru Paksha fortnight is offered to those people who passed away due to accidents or those that met with other unnatural deaths like snake bites etc. The day is known as Ghat Chaturdashi in some regions. Observed in Ashwin month, Ghat Chaturdashi 2026 date is October 9. There is a popular belief among some devout Hindus that the souls of those people who had an unnatural death wander around and do not rest in peace. Hindus perform special pujas, rites and rituals for the dead person’s soul to rest in peace. Pitru Paksha fortnight Shradh rites and rituals observed during the Krishna Paksha of Ashwin month are considered apt for giving peace to the souls of all types of unnatural deaths. All Shradh rituals are best performed with the help of knowledgeable elderly person or a qualified priest. Related Annual Shradh Dates

One of the holiest places considered for performing Pinda Daan and Pitru Paksha Shradh – the annual rites and rituals for dead ancestors, parents and relatives – is the Vishnupad Temple at Gaya dedicated to Bhagavan Vishnu. The popular belief is that Bhagavan Sri Ram and Mata Sita performed Pitr Paksha Shraddh and Pind Daan for King Dasharatha at Vishnupad  Temple on the banks of Falgu River . Falgu River is one of the tributaries of Ganga River and the  Vishnupad  Temple which has the footprints of Bhagvan Vishnu attracts nearly half-a-million devotees during the Pitru Paksha Shradh in Ashwin month (September – October). Legend has it that Vishnupad Temple was endowed with the power to cleanse devotees of their earthly sins by Bhagavan Vishnu. Therefore it is believed that funeral ceremonies and Shraddha rites performed here will help the dead ancestors achieve moksha. The Pitru Paksha rituals at Gaya Vishnupad Temple are held on the ...

Aadi Amavasya is the no moon day in the Tamil month of Aadi and is considered highly auspicious for performing rituals to the dead like Shradh and Tarpan. Aadi Amavasai 2027 date is August 2. Time is from 6:19 PM on August 1 and ends at 3:52 PM on August 2. The day is also auspicious to Lord Muruga. Important rituals on the day include performing rites for dead ancestors in sacred Teerths and riverbanks and also taking a holy dip in sacred rivers and spots. Devout Hindus perform holy bath in various scared rivers, seas and sacred ponds or Teerthams in Tamil Nadu. Thousands of Hindus take a holy dip and perform rites to the dead ancestors at Agni Theertham in Rameswaram, Thriveni Sangamam in Kanyakumari and various holy spots on the banks of Cauvery River . Fasting on Aadi Amavasai is considered highly beneficial and some people only have a single meal on the day. Aadi month is of great importance to Lord Muruga and on Amavasya day special abhishekams and pujas...

Thai Amavasya is the no moon day in the Tamil Month of Thai (January – February) and is of great importance in Tamil culture. Thai Amavasai is dedicated to dead ancestors -  siblings, parents and other relatives. Thai Amavasya 2027 date is February 6. Special prayers, rituals and offerings are made on the day for departed souls to rest in peace. In Tamil Nadu, Hindus take a holy bath in one of the sacred water bodies. Shradh and Tarpan are offered. There is a popular belief that on Thai Amavasya day the souls of the dead visit to bless their relations on the earth. The rituals and other pujas are performed on riverbanks or on seashores. Thousands of people take dip at Rameshwaram and visit the Agnitheertham Kadarkarai (sea coast) in the morning to offer pujas to the dead ancestors. Special prayers also offered to the Navagrahas at Devipattinam near Rameshwaram. In Rameshwaram, a special procession carrying the murtis of Shiva, Sri Rama and Sita...

Pishach Mochan Shradh (Pishachamochani) is annually observed on the 14 th day during the waxing phase of moon (Shukla Paksha Chaturdashi) in Margashirsh month as per traditional Hindu calendar followed in North India . Pishach Mochan Shradh 2026 date is December 23. Special puja and rituals are held on the day for those who had premature death (due to accidents and other unnatural causes). Thousands of devotees visit the Pishachmochan Kund in Varanasi for performing Shraddha Karma and Pind Daan on the day. There is a belief that those who were killed will escape from the Pishach yoni and leave earth peacefully. It is also performed to give relief to the souls who committed suicide. This ritual is mainly followed in certain regions in North India. Pishachamochani Yatra: Seeking Liberation and Ancestral Peace The Pishacha Mochani Yatra is a profoundly sacred pilgrimage with deep spiritual significance, primarily undertaken to secure liberation from various afflict...

Carrying water pot during cremation is a must for many Hindu communities and this has a deep symbolism. The person designated to light the pyre goes around the pyre of the dead person with water pot on his shoulders. A hole is made in the water pot so that the water flows out and falls around the funeral pyre. Finally, the water pot is dropped hardly backwards and it breaks. This is performed to give the message to the soul of the dead person that it is time to leave the body. The soul needs to end its association with the body. Pot and water in it is mentioned in all Hindu scriptures and this has numerous meaning. Like the pot, the human body will be broken and destroyed one day. The pot has to finally merge in earth. The person will have to finally reach his destination the Supreme Truth. The water falling from the pot while going around the funeral pyre symbolically represents the passing of time. The final breaking of pot and water flowing out completely tells the so...

Tila, or Sesame seeds (Til or Ellu in South India ), is an important puja item while performing Shradh and Tarpan – rituals and rites for dead ancestors, parents and relatives. According to Hindu scriptures, Tila or Black Sesame is one of the favorite items offered to the dead. Another popular belief is that there will be no obstruction to the Shraddh rituals if sesame is offered. In Tila Tarpan, black sesame seeds are mixed with water and are offered to the ancestors. Each ancestor is offered separate Tila Tarpan. In most regions, Tila Tarpan is performed after offering the annual Shradh. In some regions, if it is performed while performing annual Shradh or Pitru Paksha Shraddh then Tila Tarpan is performed the next day after Shradh rituals. Til contains fire, water and earth. Only Til has the correct combination of the three elements. Pitrus come down and enter Til during the Shradh ceremony. Pancha Bhutas which form the body is represented through Til. ...

As per Hindu custom in Bengal, any death in the family is followed by ritual penance for a certain number of days. Some communities observe penance for ten days, while some do so for fifteen days. The food they eat during these days is very simple, pure, without much spice and strictly vegetarian. The days of penance are followed by the final obsequies. At the cremation ground, the eldest son of the dead person gives a ritual bath to the dead body and covers it with a new unstitched cloth. The body is laid towards the south, garlanded and anointed with sandal paste. The eldest son then lights the funeral pyre. If a sick person is dying, he/she is shifted out of the room and moved to the courtyard near the Tulsi plant. The eldest son and others pour drops of water into his/her mouth. A copy of the Bhagavad Gita is generally placed on the chest of the dead person. If a married woman dies, her body is covered with a red-bordered sari and her forehead is touched with vermillion. It is ...

The Survival of Hindu Cremation Myths and Rituals in 21st Century Practice – On the difference in Hindu death rituals in Dallas, Maldives and Bali is the title of a thesis by Aditi Samarth, the professor of Humanities at a community college in Dallas (USA). Mitali Parekh writes in DNA India about the findings of Aditi Samarth Aditi Samarth wanted to study how diaspora communities retain their traditions through rituals and ceremonies in the final rites of passage. Also, she was curious to know how the dead are memorialised in cultures lacking of physical memorials, such as tombs or graves. Samarth found the Balinese funeral processions rambunctious with music and dance. The cremations in Mauritius closely follow the Vedic model. In Dallas, USA, funerals are governed by city and state laws and held in funeral homes with distilled rituals. Most family go for a casket for the viewing of the body, which is finally cremated in a sort of sturdy cardboard box. Hindu final rite...

Thirunelli Temple, dedicated to Bhagwan Vishnu, in Wayanad in Kerala is famous for Bali Tharpanam (Shradham and Pinda Dhanam). Bali Tharpanam is performed every day at Thirunelli Temple. Thirunelli temple bali timings is previous day evening of the ritual and from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM on the day of the ritual.  The fee is to be paid in the name of the performer and not in the name of the deceased. People wishing to perform the evening ritual which is part of Bali Tharpanam should reach the temple by previous day evening before deeparadhana pooja.  Nowadays people can reach the temple before 11:00 AM and perform the ritual if they do not wish to do the evening ritual. The person wishing to perform the Bali Tharpanam along with evening ritual should reach the temple on the previous day itself. This is to conveniently pay the fee at the Temple devaswom counter and get the receipt and also perform the evening rituals.  Those performing only the main day ritual can do it from...

It is a very old custom for Hindus to take bath after visiting the house of a dead person, cremation ground and after seeing a dead body. There is a lot of negative energy in the house of the dead person. The sadness, crying and wailing attracts negative forces. The negative forces are always on the lookout for a new body to make their home. They get attracted to our aura and try to enter it. This is one reason why Hindus take bath after visiting the house of the dead person. Some Hindu communities put salt in water and take bath after seeing a dead body. After death 10 pranas leave the human body. Some them only leave after fire catches the body. Some of these still linger around the dead body. When visiting the dead person we come in contact with this pranas. It is also to avoid any negative influence from these pranas that Hindus take bath after visiting the cremation ground. It is also believed that after life force has exited from the human body, the body becomes home to n...

Pula is an important after death rituals among Hindus in Kerala. Pula indicates punarlayippikkua. After death 10 pranas leave the body. One Prana known as Dhananjayan only leaves very slowly. Dhananjaya Vayu is present throughout the body. Dhananjaya vayu passes from father to mother and enters the fetus in the womb of the mother. It is present in the body even before birth. Thus Dhananjaya vayu is connected with all the family members as it comes from father and passes through mother to the body. This is the reason why Pula is observed. This is also the reason why person performing after death rituals does not travel when pula is observed. Even other people are not allowed to touch the person performing pula. It is to make sure that Dhananjaya vayu completely merges in the five elements and does not stay in the place. When the body is on pyre and the fire catches up with the body, the Dhananjaya vayu comes out. The after death rituals in Hindu religion thus connects all the ten vayu...

Today Hindu cremations are largely performed in public crematoriums. But still in many parts of the country who have large property perform the cremation in the property especially in Kerala. Growing navadanyam in the cremation spot helps in clearing all kinds of negative energy. The Navadhanya to be grown are wheat, rice, toor dal, chickpeas, moong beans, white beans, black sesame, Indian black lentil and horse gram. The Navadhanyams are associated with the Navagrahas or the nine planets. They usher in both positive energy and pluck out the negative energy. Such practices are now very rarely followed. These things are not superstitions but based on ancient science.

Scattering ashes in river after cremation is an important part of the entire death related rituals in Hindu religion. Fire and water are two important elements associated with creation in Hinduism. First, the dead body is consumed by fire. Next, the ashes are immersed in water keeping this in mind. Ashes are to be immersed in running water – this symbolizes the cycle of life. There is no death in Hinduism – there is only transformation. Just like the river searching for ocean, the individual soul searches for the ultimate destination – moksha or liberation (merging in Supreme Truth). Water is associated with purity and purification. By immersing the ashes, the relatives are helping the dead person to purify sins. It must be remembered here that Bhagavan Sri Ram put an end to his presence on earth by entering the Sarayu River. Scattering of the ashes is also a reminder to the living relatives of the dead person to stop clinging to memory of the dead individual. T...

Tarpanam is an important ritual dedicated to the dead and it is the offering of Black Til – Sesame. It is known as Ellu or Thilsam in regional languages. The tarpanam itself is also known as Thila Tarpanam in South India . But why is Til exclusively offered to the dead and is part of Shradh rituals. Til contains fire, water and earth. Only Til has the correct combination of the three elements. Pitrus come down and enter Til during the Shradh ceremony. Pancha Bhutas which form the body is represented through Til. If one eats Til it produces heat in the body this is Agni. Til contains oil and this is fluid. Black color is associated with earth. The Pancha Bhutas are space, air, fire, water and earth.

The traditional practice in Hinduism is to cremate the body of a dead person. But the dead body of Sadhus and Sanyasis are buried. In many Hindu communities, the body of a holy person is buried in the Padmasana Posture (Lotus Position). The belief is that the dead person’s soul is attached to the body. This attachment makes the person unable to attain moksha. By cremating the body, it is destroyed completely so that the soul has no attachment and it helps in attainment of Moksha. Sadhus and Sanyasis are detached from the world and they have no attachment to their body. The self realization attained by them makes the body irrelevant to them while they are alive. Cremation is therefore superfluous. For the one that has attained self realization cremation and burial both have no significance. It is the people who are alive that create the distinction.

Immersion of the ashes of the dead after funeral rituals in the Asthi Kund adjacent to Ramkund in Godavari River at Nashik in Maharashtra is considered as one of the rituals that gives peace to the soul of the dead in Hinduism. The holy Asthi Kund at Nashki is a small pond, 3X3 feet, adjacent to the Ramkund. It is believed that the Asthi Kund is more than 100 feet deep and has natural springs and the mortal remains that are immersed along with the ashes are dissolved here. Ramkund is considered to be holy because Godavari River turns to the right in 90 degrees at this place. It is also believed that Sri Ram used to take bath at Ramkund during his exile period in the Ramayana. Hindu tradition also states that a drop of nectar from the pot which was being carried by Garuda after the Gods had won it from the demons during Sagar Manthan (churning of the ocean) had fallen at Ramkund. This is another reason why the place is very sacred. The tradition of immersing ...

Amavasya, also Karutha Vavu, is the no moon day in a Hindu Calendar. Amavasya Vrat is observed for the welfare of dead ancestors, parents and other relatives. People observing fast on the day only take a single meal. It is believed that by observing the vrat family will attain peace and prosperity with the blessings of ancestors. The popular belief is that Pitrus (dead ancestors) receive the light of the moon on Amavasya night. Therefore the day is ideal for performing Shradh, Tarpan and Tila Tarpan. Bathing in holy rivers and performing the rituals is highly meritorious. The rituals on Amavasya day is dedicated to all dead people in the family. When Amavasya falls on Monday it is known as Somavara Amavasya and Hindus should perform vrat, holy bath and Daan (charity) on this day. Devotees also should do pradakshina (going around) of Peepal Tree for 108 times on the Somvar Amavasya day. The single meal on Amavasya day is usually taken after sunset. The fast should ...