Pitru Paksha has got great significance in Sanatan Dharma and this is described in our religious scriptures. .According to the Hindu religion ,it is believed that during the Pitru Paksha period ,souls of forefathers come to the Earth and their family members perform rituals to offer peace and sustenance to them and seek their blessings .The scriptures ordain us to perform Shradha of our dead ancestors for their peace of mind on their date of death and also during the Pitru Paksha which is a 15 days period and comes annually once in the first half of the Ashiwan month of the Hindu Calendar .It is believed that a person is indebted to gods, Pitrus-dead ones and to Rishis and one has to repay debt obligation to all the three .Therefore one has to pay off his debt to ones dead ancestors and for this dead ones are remembered ,offered water ,fruit ,food ,water ,flowers and Shradha is performed to satisfy the dead ones
Pitru Paksha is the fortnight of the dead and the Hindus consider this period as inauspicious for starting any new work or adventure /business and do not perform marriage and Yognopavit ceremonies during this period .This is in fact the time period to pay tributes to the dead ancestors and it is also believed that if the souls of the dead ones are satisfied they shower blessings and it brings health, fortune ,wealth and prosperity .Thus the Hindus take it obligatory to pay the debts to the dead ones and seek their blessings .It is believed that during Pitru Paksha,the deceased soul comes to earth to receive food ,drink, and gifts from their loved ones such as sons ,daughters and other close relatives .Crows are considered to be either the spirits of deceased family member or Yamaraj’s representatives .
Pitru Paksha holds deep religious significance for Hindus ,as it is a time dedicated to honoring and appeasing one’s ancestors .Hindus believe that during these 15 days ,their forefathers descend to earth ,and rituals such as Pitru tarpan and Pind Daan are performed to satisfy the souls of our ancestors .Lord Krishna in Bhagwat Gita says ,’’for the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time .The soul is unborn, eternal ,ever existing and primeval .It is not slain when the body is slain .’’The Pitru Paksha rites liberate a soul from the vicious circle of life and death and it attains salvation .This year that is in year 2025,Pitru Paksha started on 8th September and it will continue up to September 21 and during this period Shardha ,Pind Daan & tarpan is performed in honor of the ancestors .Pitru Paksha ,lasting for 15 days in Ashwin ,is a Hindu period for honoring ancestors .Pitra Paksha ,also referred to as Pitri Paksha or Shraddha ,is a significant period in the Hindu calendar devoted to paying homage to one’s ancestors .This is sacred time& lasts for 15 lunar days during the month of Ashwin
It begins with the Pratipada Tithi of Krishna Paksha in the Ashwin month .During this auspicious period ,rituals and offerings are made to honor and remember departed ancestors, making it an essential time for paying respects to forefathers .In 2024,Pitru Paksha commenced on ,September 18, and will conclude on Wednesday October 2.The observance began on Purnima Tithi –full moon and concludes with the Amavasya Tithi –New Moon ,marking the period for performing rituals to honor and remember ancestors .Pitru Paksha is considered an especially sacred time in Hinduism ,during which individuals worship their ancestors with great devotion .It holds deep religious and spiritual significance as people offer prayers to their departed loves ones .It is a tradition during this period to invite Brahmins ,both male and female ,into one’s home to offer them sattvik food ,clothing and money called dakshina .Purity is of utmost importance, and these rituals should be performed with sincere intentions and heartfelt emotions .For those afflicted by Pitru Dosha ,this period is a favorable time to seek relief by performing the Pitru Dosha Puja .The city of Gaya in Bihar is a renowned location for conducting this significant ritual .It is required to begin the ritual by waking up early and taking a bath .After cleaning ,the house is cleaned ,and Sattvik food is prepared and Brahmin are invited to home .
The male member of the family performs the Pitru Tarpan ,and food ,clothing , and dakshina are offered to the Brahimin or priest .It is customary to receive his blessings by touching his feet .Additionally ,feeding cows ,dogs and crows is considered highly auspicious .Tarpan at Gangs Ghat is believed to be especially meritorious ,which is why many people visit the Ganga Ghats for these sacred rituals .The Mahalaya Amavasya is a special day dedicated to making an offering to express our gratitude to all the previous generations of people who have contributed to our life .Scientists say that human beings and their ancestors have existed on this planet for 20 million years .
That is a lot of time .All these hundreds of thousands of generations that lived on this planet before us have given us something or the other .The language that we speak ,the way we sit ,our clothes ,our buildings –almost everything that we know today has come to us from generations before us .The significant thing about being human is that we can use tools .This simple ability to use tools ,we multiplied or made it to grow into technologies .The day an ape picked up a thing bone of an animal and started fighting with that bone instead of his hands ,when ,apart from his own body ,he had the necessary intelligence to start using tools to make his life ,in some way was the beginning of human life on the planet .We have taken all the things that we have today for granted .But without the generations that came before us ,firstly we would not exist here ,secondly ,without their contribution we would not have all the things that we have today .So instead of taking them for granted, today is a day when we express our gratitude to all of them .
It is done as a ritual to pay homage to one’s dead parents ,but is annually an expression of gratitude for all those generations of ancestors who lived before us. During this time ,in India ,new crops would have just begun to bear yield .So their first produce is offered to the ancestors as a mark of respect and thankfulness ,by way of pinda ,before the whole population breaks into celebration in the form of other festivals like Navratri ,Vijayadashmi and Diwali .Kela bhairava Shanthi is an annual process conducted at Linga Bhairavi on the auspicious night of Mahalaya Amavasya for the wellbeing of ancestors and departed relatives .Pitru Pakasha fortnight of the paternal ancestors also called Pitr paksa ,also spelt Pitri Paksha ,is a 15 day period in the Hindu calendar when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors—Pitrs ,especially through food offerings .Pitru Paksha is considered by Hindus to be inauspicious ,given the death rite performed during the ceremony ,known as Shraddha or Tarpana .
The performance of Shraddha by a son during Pitru Paksha is considered compulsory by Hindus ,to ensure that the soul of the ancestors goes to heaven .In this context ,the scripture Garuda Purana says,’’there is no salvation for a man without a son .’’The scriptures preach that a householder should propitiate ancestors-Pitris ,along with gods –devas ,elements—bhutas and guests .The scripture Markandeya Purna says that if the ancestors are content with the shraddhas, they will bestow health ,wealth ,knowledge and longevity and ultimately heaven and salvation upon the performer .In brief Pitru Paksha has great importance in Hindu religion and we should perform shraddha ritual during this period for the peace of dead ones.

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