How is Pitrupaksha in Gaya different from Pitrupaksha observed at home?

Pitrupaksha observed at home (through Tarpan with a family priest, or Shraddha rituals) is a valid and important annual observance. However, the texts distinguish between this home-based observance and the pilgrimage to Gaya, which is described as conferring exponentially greater merit. The Gaya pilgrimage during Pitrupaksha combines the most auspicious ancestral period of the year with the most powerful ancestral tirtha — creating an alignment that the texts describe as uniquely liberating for departed souls.