How does one perform Pitru Paksha puja at home?

A simplified Pitru Paksha puja at home involves:

• Cleaning the house and maintaining purity.
• Preparing Saatvik food.
• Facing south (the direction associated with ancestors and Yama).
• Performing Tarpan (offering water and sesame seeds).
• Offering Pind Daan (rice balls) or simply offering the prepared food on a leaf plate.
• Lighting a diya (lamp).
• Praying for the peace of ancestors’ souls.
• Offering food to a crow, cow, and dog before the family eats.
• Optionally, inviting and feeding a Brahmin.

If your family is in Trinidad and Tobago, follow the home practice taught by your local purohit or mandir. The Pitri Paksh 2026 country guide gives the local dates and separately explains how a rite may be arranged at a sacred tirtha in India.