When and where The shraddha is performed on the specific
lunar day during the Pitri Paksha, when the ancestor—usually a parent or paternal grandparent—died. There are exceptions to the lunar day rule; special days are allotted for people who died in a particular manner or had a certain status in life.
Chautha Bharani and
Bharani Panchami, the fourth and fifth lunar day respectively, are allocated for people deceased in the past year.
Avidhava navami ("Unwidowed ninth"), the ninth lunar day, is for married women who died before their husband. Widowers invite
Brahmin women as guests for their wife's shraddha. The twelfth lunar day is for children and ascetics who had renounced the worldly pleasures. The fourteenth day is known as
Ghata chaturdashi or
Ghayala chaturdashi, and is reserved for those people killed by arms, in war or suffering a violent death. An annual Pitri Paksha Mela at Gaya on the banks of River
Falgu. Pilgrims from all corners of the country visit Gaya for offering Pinda to their Ancestors. According to Bihar Tourism Department estimates, some 5,00,000 to 75,00,000 pilgrims arrive in the Gaya city during the Pitri Paksha Mela every year.
Who and for whom It is essential that Shraddha be performed by the son—usually the eldest—or male relative of the paternal branch of the family, limited to the preceding three generations. However, on
Sarvapitri amavasya or
matamaha, the daughter's son can offer Shraddha for the maternal side of his family if a male heir is absent in his mother's family. Some
castes only perform the shraddha for one generation. Prior to performing the rite, the male should have experienced a
sacred thread ceremony. Since the ceremony is considered inauspicious due to its association with death, the royal family of
Kutch, the king or heirs of the throne are prohibited from conducting Shraddha.
Food The food offerings made to the ancestors are usually cooked in silver or copper vessels and typically placed on a banana leaf or cups made of dried leaves. The food must include
Kheer (a type of sweet rice and milk),
lapsi (a sweet porridge made of wheat grains), rice,
dal (lentils), spring bean (
guar) and a yellow gourd (pumpkin).
Rites of Shraddha near
Pashupatinath temple,
Nepal The male who performs the shraddha should take a purifying bath beforehand and is expected to wear a
dhoti. He wears a ring of
darbha grass. Then the ancestors are invoked to reside in the ring. The shraddha is usually performed bare-chested, as the position of the sacred thread worn by him needs to be changed multiple times during the ceremony. The shraddha involves
pinda dana, which is an offering to the ancestors of
pindas (cooked rice and barley flour balls mixed with
ghee and black sesame seeds), accompanying the release of water from the hand. It is followed by the worship of
Vishnu (in form of the
darbha grass, a gold image, or
Shaligram stone) and Yama. The food offering is then made, cooked especially for the ceremony on the roof. The offering is considered to be accepted if a crow arrives and devours the food; the bird is believed to be a messenger from Yama or the spirit of the ancestors. A cow and a dog are also fed, and
Brahmin priests are also offered food. Once the ancestors (crow) and Brahmins have eaten, the family members can begin lunch. ==Other practices==