We remember our birthdays, our milestones and the people who stand beside us today. Pitru Paksha asks us to pause for the people who came before us—the ancestors whose lives, choices and sacrifices helped make our own lives possible.
In Hindu tradition, honouring our ancestors is a duty of gratitude. During Pitru Paksha, families offer prayers, tarpan (water) and pind daan (food offerings), seeking peace for the departed and blessings for the generations still living. The Bhagavad Gita refers to offerings of rice balls and water to forefathers, while the Garuda Purana describes the place of these offerings in ancestral rites.
Can unresolved ancestral duties affect a family?
When a family faces repeated conflicts, property disputes, mounting debt, addiction, or difficulty conceiving, some people look at these patterns through the spiritual lens of Pitru Dosh. They may feel that an ancestral duty has been left unfinished—that the departed are asking to be remembered, prayed for and honoured.
Traditional discussions of Pitru Dosh associate it with unresolved ancestral obligations, though they do not establish that any particular hardship was caused by an ancestor.
Why do we offer rice and black sesame seeds?
The pinda is an offering of food, commonly prepared with rice and, depending on the ritual tradition, ingredients such as sesame, barley or ghee. Rice represents nourishment: through the offering, a descendant expresses the wish that the departed be cared for and at peace. The Garuda Purana describes rice ball offerings in ancestral ceremonies and also refers to cooked rice offered with sesame seeds.
Black sesame seeds, or kale til, have a special place in ancestral offerings. They are used in both food offerings and water offerings in many traditions. Together, rice and sesame make the prayer tangible: “We remember you. We offer this with love. May you be at peace.” The ingredients and exact method can vary according to the family’s custom and the priest performing the rite.
What happens in a Tripindi Shraddha?
For our Pitru Dosh Pind Daan Pooja, we are referring to Tripindi Shraddha, a more extensive ancestral rite. Tri refers to three, and the ceremony includes three pindas. The three pindas should not be described simply as “one for the father’s side, one for the mother’s side and one for the in-laws”: ritual explanations also connect the three offerings with Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh, and the precise vidhi varies by tradition.
What matters deeply in the sankalp—the spoken intention of the pooja—is whom we are remembering. In the form of Tripindi described by Trimbakeshwar ritual guides, tarpan can include ancestors from the father’s side, the mother’s side and the wife’s side. That means remembering your paternal lineage, your maternal lineage—including your mama’s family line—and, where applicable, your spouse’s lineage. The priest can guide the exact names, gotras and family branches included in your sankalp, including ancestors whose names are no longer known.
Pitru Paksha is an invitation to say: “I have not forgotten where I come from.” Through Pind Daan, we pray for peace for those who have passed, express gratitude for what they gave us, and carry our family story forward with greater awareness.