Pitru Tarpanam, performed on Mahalaya Amavasya, is a sacred ritual dedicated to honoring and appeasing one’s ancestors (Pitru devatas). This Amavasya (new moon day) falls during the Pitru Paksha, the 15-day lunar period before Navaratri, usually in September–October. Mahalaya Amavasya is considered the most powerful day to offer tarpana (oblations) to departed souls and ensure their peace in the afterlife.
This ritual is rooted in the belief that ancestral blessings are vital for spiritual and material well-being. Performing Tarpanam with sincerity is said to remove ancestral karmic debts (Pitru dosha) and bless the family with prosperity, health, and harmony.
The ritual is ideally performed by the male members of the family, especially the eldest son, near a holy river, seashore, or at home using a sacred space. The devotee begins with a bath and wears traditional attire (usually dhoti). A sacred thread (yajnopavita) is worn in the apasavya (reverse) direction as a mark of mourning and respect.
Offerings include:
- Water mixed with black sesame seeds, barley, and darbha grass
- Cooked rice balls (pindam)
- Bananas, flowers, and betel leaves
- Lighting of a til oil lamp for ancestral guidance
The devotee recites mantras invoking the names of ancestors, offering water and pindams while praying for their souls’ elevation. Tarpanam is followed by feeding cows, crows, and the poor, symbolizing the transmission of offerings to the ancestral realm.
Mahalaya Amavasya Tarpanam is a deeply emotional and spiritual act, reflecting gratitude and remembrance. It connects the living with departed souls, ensuring continuity of blessings, harmony in lineage, and liberation (moksha) for the ancestors.
