Pitru Paksha, or Shraadh Paksha, is a unique and very special ritual of Hindu religion that is going to start on 17th September and end on 2nd October 2024. There is only one religion in the world that gives importance to the ancestors (Pitru) by conducting a ritual for 16 days to honour and pay homage in remembrance of their contribution in our lives.
On the full moon (Purnima) of Bhadrapad (September-October month), Hindus believe that the souls of their ancestors come down on earth to see their pedigree and how they are conducting themselves. The soul of the ancestors keeps roaming for 16 days on earth and departs from earth after a fortnight on the new moon day (Amavasya), which also marks the beginning of Navratra (9-day ceremony to honour female energy).
The rituals are simple, which involve offering cooked rice, water, sesame seeds, and other sacred items in the presence of a priest who is a shraddha specialist. It is said and believed that if such rituals are performed with gratitude, the souls of ancestors will be pacified and helped them take a new birth in another body for maintaining a cycle of birth and rebirth. The soul basically takes birth constantly until he becomes a pure and perfect soul. Every birth teaches a lesson, and every soul becomes mature with life lessons on earth. During this ritual, it is advised to take bath in river and offer water with black sesame seeds to the Sun.
Hindi Scriptures are of the opinion that if Pitru Paksha is observed in the right manner, it will also work as an atonement and redemption for the wrongdoings of the ancestors in their lifetime or previous births. However, the observance of Pitru Paksha helps maintain the family tradition and culture. Such practices act as the remembrance of one’s lineage and develop a strong bond between living and departed souls.
Apart from the religious sanctity of Pitru Paksha, it has a tremendous social impact on society. Every generation remembers up to seven generations of ancestors, which helps the common people to analyze life in a better way from a rich history of ancestors, although the Indian mass does not have the habit of writing diaries on a daily basis like the people in western countries.
The final day, or the 16th day of Pitru Paksha, is considered to be the most important day of the rituals, which ends with offering food and clothes to the needy people along with animals and birds. Therefore, Hinduism honours every atom in a real sense, and it is a very accommodating religion where breathing space is allotted to everyone. It is a time of reflection, remembrance, and reverence. Also, it underscores the Hindu belief in the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.