Hindus worldwide observed Pitri Paksh that ended last week. Pitri Paksh is a 15 or 16 days period in the Hindu calendar in the Fall (month of Ashwin in the Hindu calendar) when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors or kin, petitioning the lord to be kind to the departed souls. It is also a period to pay respects to and celebrate the contributions of the departed ancestors or fore-parents. Special pitri (ancestral) puja are performed daily (in the morning at sun up) or on any day or days of the person’s doing. Indo-Caribbean (Guyanese, Trinidadians, Surinamese, others) American Hindus and others in the diaspora (in the Caribbean and globally) performed Pitri Paksh puja at home during this period. The weather was warm in New York, and people were observed making offerings early morning in their yards. Some did indoors. In the southern states, Hindus performed pitri puja in their yards. Mandirs also conducted pitri katha in which the pandits read from the special Garuda Puranas (that discusses death) during the evening. There is over a hundred Indo-Caribbean mandirs in USA. Some Guyanese invited Pandit to the home to perform special pitri puja. In Guyana and the Caribbean, Hindus also conducted pitri offerings to the ancestors.
Pitri Paksha fell this year on September 17 and ended on October 2. The end of pitri paksha is followed by amavas and then Navratri commences (November 3 this year – nine nights of puja) after which is Diwali.During the ritual, Hindus worship paying reverence to their ancestors with great devotion. The rituals are performed with sincere intentions and deep emotions.
Pitri Paksh puja (one morning or as many as the person chooses) involved special mantras and offerings including of flowers, fruits, and other food. It could also include clothing. The puja is also known as Shraad or shraddha puja or ancestor puja. Hinudism is perhaps the only faith that pays tribute to the ancestors (anyone in the family or kuul who passed away including brothers and sisters and children). These special rituals are made to honour and remember departed ancestors for what they did to assist in the success of their descendants. Shraad puja is a ritual performed to honor and remember one’s ancestors and departed loved ones. The ritual is usually performed annually during the period of Pitri Paksh (usually in late September or October).
One takes a bath early morning and dressed in clean clothing. Pitri worship involved offering water mixed in black till or sesame seeds (and rice or other ingredients) to the Lord of Death (Jamraj) in the name of one’s ancestor for God to be merciful on their souls. Shraad offering can be a simple morning ritual of “offering water” to the departed souls of one’s lineage and kin or it could also be an elaborate puja with a Pandit. The tradition of offering water and or conducting puja has been in India for thousands of years as enunciated in the holy scripture. It was brought to the Caribbean by the pioneering indentured laborers (Hindus). From the Caribbean, the practice has been transplanted to North America, UK, and elsewhere. When one performs funeral, similar tradition is practiced. The water is poured in a special way by hand through the right finger and tilted to the right (tarpan) with a special mantra on a stalk of kush grass (if available). It is preceded and followed by a short prayer. The names of the ancestors are mentioned or stated generally if names are not known during the tarpan. After the end of their offerings (for whatever number of mornings they conducted puja), it is a tradition to prepare a variety of vegetable dishes or seven curries) and invite people to the home to partake in a meal. It is called sattvik (without onion, garlic, and salt) food. Clothing could also be offered to the less fortunate and or to the pandit. It is also a tradition to offer a siddha (a hamper with grains, vegetables, money) to a pandit. The family may offer foods or grains to animals.
Shraad is also performed after funeral. Shraad is also performed on the ninth or tenth day after disposal of the mortal remains of a loved one and again on the 12th or 13th day. Some call it the “dead work”. The right term is shraad. Some performed one year anniversary after death of a relative. Some performed monthly or semiannually puja. And many Hindus don’t make offerings during shraad. This writer made offerings for three mornings to my deceased parents, grand parents, great grandparents and my sisters and aunts and uncles and others.
It must be explained that during Pitri Paksh, people pay respects to Jamraj, the God of Death. People are not praying or making offerings to the deceased or their soul. Rather they pray to Jamraj and make offerings to him on behalf of the deceased to treat their soul with compassion and mercy. During Pitri Paksha, it is considered inauspicious for Hindus to pursue new undertakings. There are no major new constructions, weddings and puja. Only pitri puja is performed during this period.