Pind daan
It is a religious ritual offered to dead ancestors for the departed soul’s salvation.
The ritual is conducted over the banks of holy rivers. Gaya, Bihar, is considered a holy place to conduct the ritual as it is believed that Lord Rama performed the ritual in the disguise of his father, Lord Dasharatha, for the enlightenment of the departed soul to acquire Moksha.
The best time to conduct the ritual is in Pitru-Paksha.
Procedure to perform Pind daan!
Generally, there are three Rins that need to be followed as mentioned in the Holy books & Granthas in Hindu mythology.
- Dev-Rin
- Rishi-Rin
- Pitra-Rin
Dev-Rin:-
- Vedic Karma Kand
- Rudrabhishek
- Yagya
Rishi-Rin:-
- Sevasatkar
- Daan
Pitra-Rin:-
- Antyeshti Sanskar: As the name suggests, ‘Antyeshti’ means ‘AntimaSanskar’. The last rite in which the dead is put to fire with certain Vedic mantras.
- Asthi Visarjan: The ash collected from Antyeshti is collected over a copper vessel and is made to flow in the River Ganges.
- Shradh or the Feasting ceremony:- The people who are known is being invited for food offerings and to pay peace for the departed soul.
- Brahman Bhoj to offer food to the Brahmans.
Rishi Rin and Dev Rin can be implemented in your regular lifestyle, but PitraRin has a set of activities that requires attention and separate time.
Following are the rituals performed for Shraadh & Pind daan Poojan in Gaya Ji:-
- Snan & Sankalpa:- Take a bath in the holy River Ganges before performing Pind Daan.
- Pind Daan:- The worshipping of the departed souls and the ancestors.
- Tarpan:- In this act, the closest relatives make a sacred offering to God so that the soul may enter Swarga. Tarpana is also referred to as Arghya where an offering is made to all the 5 Devas and Navagrahas. Some perform Tarpana by using water and Sesame seeds during Pitru Paksha which is known as Tilatarpana.