Seek blessings of your Ancestors During Pitru Paksha (Shradh) 2022. We all know the importance of elders in our life and the role they have played in bringing us up and making us the person we are today. Since the day we were born, our elders have been our back bone and the most important part of our lives. But human beings are mortal and one has to leave this life when they are destined too. The amount of love and devotion they have given us in these long years can never be paid off. However to show our respect and honor to the departed, we have a ritual celebrated for some days, every year, known as Pitru Paksha or Shradh.
Pitru paksha also known as the fortnight of the ancestors in the dark half of Lunar month Ashwin is a 15 day period in Hindu calendar when Hindus pay respect to their ancestor by offerings, especially food offerings to the priests. The ritual came out from an old legend of the two almighty, Karna and Indra. It falls in the 2nd paksha (fortnight) Hindu lunar month of September and follows the forth night immediately after the Ganesha festival. Shradh by a son during Pitru Paksha is an important task to perform which ensures that the soul of the ancestor goes to heaven peacefully. The Shradh is performed on the specific lunar day during the Pitru Paksha, when the ancestor has died. It is believed that if the ancestors are satisfied with the Shradh, they will bestow a great health, prosperity, knowledge and a long life, and ultimately heaven and salvation upon the one who is performing it. This period of time brings a sort of satisfaction and fulfillment that you are able to convey your respect and admiration to the elders of your family who are not with anymore.
During these days, it is highly inauspicious to smoke, drink and have non-veg in your meals. These are the priorities one must seek before they are going to be a part of the Pitru Paksha. It is believed that the families who put their heart and soul in remembering the deceased, they are destined to be happy for a lifetime. There are different ways in which families devote their respect to the elder of the family who have lost their lives and every way is respected and meant to be a part of the ritual. It is considered good to serve meals to cows and dogs during these days. Keeping water pots on your terrace for crows is another practice during the Pitru Dosha. If you want to show some respect towards your ancestor, Pitru Paksha and Shradh gives you the extreme way and reason to!