Tarpan in

Varanasi

What is Tarpan?

The term ‘trup’ refers to a person’s ability to please others. The basic word ‘Trup’ was used to create the term ‘Tarpan.’ Tarpan is the act of offering water to God, the Sages, the souls of ancestors, and human people and gratifying them with it.

Tarpan in Varanasi is the ritualistic homage performed for the souls of departed ancestors. Water is offered to their souls or pitar. The souls of the ancestors expect from their descendants this offering of water or udak.

The tarpan has to strictly follow some prescribed methods of performance. According to Hindu sacred tradition, the tarpan should be performed by a river. 

The goal of tarpan in Varanasi is for God, departed ancestors’ spirits, and other entities whose names are uttered throughout the ritual to give pleasure on us.

Devotee performing tarpan in varanasi image

Apart from Tarpan, Varanasi is also famous for performing Asthi Visarjan, Pind daan & Shradh. Click below to know more-

For Performing Tarpan in Varanasi,

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Frequently Asked Questions:

‘Tarpan should be conducted along the riverbed,’ according to Bodhayan. When doing Tarpan beside the river, one should either stand in the river until the water level reaches the belly button, or sit on the riverbanks.

Tarpan for God and Sages should be done facing East, whereas Tarpan for the spirits of departed ancestors should be done facing South.
According to science, tarpan for God should be done after ‘Savya,’ tarpan for Sages should be performed after ‘Nivit,’ and tarpan for departed ancestors’ spirits should be performed after ‘Apasavya.’


Tarpan requires the use of a dried grass twig (darbha). Tarpan for God is done from the tip of the darbha, tarpan for Sages is done by folding the darbha in half, and tarpan for the spirits of departed ancestors is done from the tip and root of the two darbhas.


Water (tarpan) should be offered to deities with the tips of the fingers, whereas water should be offered to Sages with the base of the little finger and the third finger, and to the departed ancestors’ souls with the middle of the thumb and the first finger of the hand.

Tarpan should be done using one handful (anjali) of water for each god, two handfuls for Sages, and three handfuls for the spirits of departed ancestors. Three handfuls of water should be used for matrutrayi (mother, grandmother, and great grandmother), and one handful of water should be used for other female ancestors’ spirits.

(The term ‘anjali’ means ‘handful’ or ‘onjal’ in Hindi.) ‘Giving one fistful (anjali) of water for tarpan’, on the other hand, indicates that the tarpan should only be given once – Compiler)

Pitru tarpan is the offering of water to the souls of departed ancestors (pitar). Pitrutarpan cannot be performed by a Jivatpitruk.
Apart from Pinda and food offerings to priests (Brahmins) from their descendants, the souls of the departed ancestors also seek water (udak) from them.


The souls of the deceased ancestors are not only satisfied and leave us when they perform tarpan, but they also bestow long life, radiance, superior intellect (brahmavarchaswa), wealth, success, and foodstuff (ability to digest the food consumed) on the host performing the tarpan, satiating him as well.

Tarpan for God, Sages, and the spirits of departed ancestors should be conducted on a regular basis (daily). Tarpan is a daily practise that should be performed after a bath in the early morning. If doing Shraddha for the souls of departed ancestors on a regular basis is not practicable, one should at the very least conduct tarpan.


Pitru tarpan should be conducted the day after Parvan Shraddha is performed.

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