Pitru Paksha is a very popular 16–lunar day period in Hindu calendar when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors especially through food offerings and along with other rituals which are performed to honour the ancestors.
In India usually it falls in the 2nd paksha (fortnight) in the Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada and it follows the fortnight immediately after Ganesh Chaturthi is over. So it usually occurs in September every year and this year it falls on 10th September and it will end on 25th September.
This festival is also popularly called as Shraadh and in this festival Hindus believe that the departed soul of their ancestors wander in a realm between heaven and earth which is called as Pitru Lok. Here, they remains restless and still attached to worldliness which is called Maya. The prayers and ritual offerings during Pitru Paksha free the souls of the ancestors and help them transition towards ‘Brahmaloka’ or heaven.
| Event | Pitru Paksha |
|---|---|
| Date | September 10, 2022 |
| Day | Saturday |
| Significance | Hindu festival that honors the ancestors |
| Observed by | India |
Pitru Paksha History:
There is a very popular legend behind the origin of this festival and it can be found in the ancient Hindu epic of Mahabharata where this festival's story is related to a Hindu warrior called Karna.
Karna who was a very strong Hindu warrior was also a legendary donor during the times of Mahabharata somewhere around 3138 B.C.E according to Hindu beliefs. But despite being a very strong warrior he died in the war as he fought from the wrong side in the war and he already knew that he was gonna die but still because of his dharma fought for his friend.
After he died his soul transcended to heaven, where he became plagued with extreme hunger as any food that his soul touched became gold instantly and thus making it unable for Karna to eat. Then complaining about it Karna and Surya(Sun God) went to Indra(God of Heaven) and asked him about the cause of this incident. Indra told Karna that he had donated gold his entire life, but had never donated food to his ancestors in shraddha.
And hence the ancestors of his Kuru ancestry cursed him as they were struck in limbo between Heaven and Earth which is called as 'Pitru Lok'. Karna replied that since he was unaware of his ancestry, he never donated anything in their memory. Then to make amends, Karna was permitted to return to the earth for a 15 day period, so that he could perform shraddha to them and donate food and water in their memory so that their souls can leave this earth completely.
Since then the tradition of performing Shraddh and offering good and water to the ancestors is being followed in India by the Hindus from several centuries and still it is continued today as a prominent part of Indian culture and tradition.
Pitru Paksha Significance:
Today also performing Shraddh and offering food to their ancestors is considered very important by Hindus and if it is not done then it is considered a bad act as your ancestors will suffer and after death your soul will also be given no food in heaven so this belief is still very popular. And that's why it is considered very important festival and ritual to be performed for the peace of the ancestors.
Pitru Paksha is not the only festival in the world which is dedicated to ancestors as there are many festivals like in almost all religions and beliefs across the world. The most prominent one that we can think of might be the 'Day of the Dead' in Mexico where also respect is paid to ancestors and in other Asian countries also festivals for ancestors are very popular like Spirit festival in China and Obon festival in Japan.
And it is being said and also written in various Hindu religious texts that Pitru Paksha is very important in Hinduism to ensure that the soul of the ancestor goes to heaven and not get struck in Pitru Lok. Some Hindus also believes that if they don't perform it then the souls of their ancestors will come and haunt them.
It is also widely believed that if the ancestors are content with the shraddhas, they will bestow health, wealth, knowledge and longevity, and ultimately heaven and salvation which is called as "Moksha" to the performer. Hence performing and celebrating 'Pitru Paksha' is considered very good for the performers too.
This 16-day period of Pitru Paksha is also considered very inauspicious time. Hence all the good activities like starting a new venture, getting married, buying a house or a car is prohibited during this period.
Pitru Paksha Celebrations:
The most famous and important ritual during this festival is Shraddh which can be only performed by a son or any male relative to the ancestors. During Shraddh various rituals are followed like the male who performs the shraddha has to take a purifying bath beforehand and is expected to wear a dhoti(traditional dress). He also wears a ring as ancestors are invoked to reside in the ring.
The shraddha is usually performed bare-chested, as the position of the sacred thread worn by the performer 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 Lord Vishnu.
Then the food offering is made first to all of the priest mostly Brahmins who have carried out the ritual then later to the crows as the bird is believed to be a messenger from Yama or the spirit of the ancestors. So it is believed that crows carries the spirits of ancestors who comes to accept offerings from their family.
Most people in modern world today doesn't really perform full Shraddha ritual instead they directly offers food and water to their ancestors in the form of feeding to crows. And generally performs all the puja(worship) regarding it at their homes only. And completes the celebrations by making an offering of food to crows.
Most Searched FAQs on Pitru Paksha:
1. When is Pitru Paksha is celebrated?
Pitru Paksha is annually celebrated on the 2nd Paksha of Hindu lunar month of Bhadrapada in India.
2. What should we not do on Pitru Paksha?
Pitru Paksha is considered as an inauspicious period for doing new things like starting a business venture, marriage, buying house or car, etc.
3. Why do we celebrate Pitru Paksha?
Pitru Paksha is a festival dedicated to ancestors in which homage and respect is paid to ancestors so that they can reach heaven.