Feeding animals during Pitru Paksha holds special significance:
- Crows: Believed to be messengers of Yama (the god of death) or representations of ancestors’ souls. Feeding them is seen as indirectly feeding the ancestors.
- Cows: Revered in Hinduism, feeding a cow is always considered meritorious.
- Dogs: Associated with Yama’s attendants. Feeding them is part of satisfying all beings connected to the ancestral realm.