Home/Pooja At Temple/Shraddh Puja
Pitru & AncestralPerformed by: 1 PanditDuration: 2–4 hours

Shraddh Puja

The Vedic ritual of ancestral remembrance and offering - performed for the peace of the departed, the liberation of their souls, and the ongoing wellbeing of the living lineage.

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Overview

What Is This Puja?

The Vedic tradition acknowledges three primary debts (Rna Traya) that every human being carries: the debt to the gods (Deva Rna), to the sages (Rishi Rna), and to the ancestors (Pitru Rna). Of these three, the Pitru Rna is the most immediate - it is owed to the people whose bodies gave rise to your own. Shraddha (derived from Shraddha - faith and sincerity) is the primary means of discharging this debt. The Garuda Purana describes in extraordinary detail how the departed exist in a liminal state between death and their next birth, and how the offerings of food, water, and mantra that we perform during Shraddha actually reach them in a transformed form. The Shraddha is performed through a Brahmin (purohit) who represents the ancestors - the food offered to the purohit is understood to reach the departed through the ritual framework. This is not symbolism in the puja; it is the actual mechanism the tradition describes.
SiddhiStar Note
“"I have seen the Shraddha puja dismissed as superstition by the educated and embraced with fearful compliance by others. Both miss the point. Shraddha is a practice of gratitude and acknowledgment - you are thanking the people whose existence made yours possible. The cosmological framework of how the offerings reach the departed may be understood literally or metaphorically, but the act of acknowledging your ancestors is universal."”
Primary Deities
Varun Dev • Pitru Devata (primary) • Vishnu as Narayana (liberation aspect) • Agni • Yama

Commonly requested for

  • ●Annual Pitru Paksha observance for parents or grandparents
  • ●Death anniversary Shraddha (Varsha Shraddha)
  • ●Monthly Amavasya Shraddha as ongoing ancestral service
  • ●Families experiencing Pitru Dosha symptoms (unexplained obstacles, family discord, delayed progeny)
  • ●First Shraddha after a recent death in the family

Where Does This Puja Come From?

Primary Source
Garuda Purana - Shraddha Prakarana (the most detailed scriptural source for Shraddha rites)
Supporting Texts
Manusmriti Ch. 3 - Pitru Yajna obligations · Yajnavalkya Smriti - Shraddha Kanda · Vishnu Purana on Pitru Paksha

Ritual Flow

Understanding the sequence helps you participate meaningfully rather than merely observe.

1

Gotra Shuddhi & Sankalpa

Complete gotra chain of the deceased declared - father's side and mother's side. The specific ancestor (or 'all ancestors' for general Shraddha) named.

2

Pitru Tarpan (Water Offering)

Water offered in a cupped hand three times for each ancestor named - with specific Pitru mantra. This is the most ancient and minimal form of Shraddha.

3

Pinda Daan (Rice Ball Offering)

Three rice balls (pindas) made from cooked rice mixed with sesame and offered on a Kusha grass mat - each ball represents a generation of ancestors.

4

Brahmin Bhojan (Ritual Feeding)

A Brahmin (the purohit or an invited Brahmin) is fed a complete meal in the ancestor's name. The food offered reaches the ancestor through this act.

5

Shraddha Mantras from Garuda Purana

Specific mantras for the liberation of the soul from the Garuda Purana recited with the pindas as witness.

6

Crow and Dog Offering

A portion of the Shraddha food is set aside for crows and dogs - traditional recipients of ancestral offerings in the Vedic framework.

7

Uttarpuja

Purohit receives dakshina. Remaining rice and sesame immersed in water or buried near a tree.

Understanding the sequence helps you participate meaningfully rather than merely observe.

Samagri Required

Every item has a function — this is a functional manifest, not a shopping list.

Kusha Grass (Darbha)

Essential for Shraddha - every offering is made on or with Kusha

Black Sesame (Til, 250g)

The most essential Pitru offering - sesame is Pitru's grain

Rice (Cooked, for Pinda)

For making the three Pindas

Barley / Wheat Flour

Alternative Pinda material for some regional traditions

Honey and Milk

Mixed into Pinda dough

Ganga Jal

For Tarpan - Ganga water is the ideal Tarpan liquid

Silver (Small piece or coin)

Traditionally placed in the Pinda as an offering of wealth to the ancestor

Brahmin's meal (to be arranged)

A complete cooked meal - the Brahmin Bhojan component

SiddhiStar Samagri Policy
All Standard and Premium bookings include the complete samagri kit. Our purohit brings everything - tradition-matched and verified before travel. No sourcing required from your side.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if we do not know the gotra or exact death date of the ancestor?
The Shraddha can still be performed. If the gotra is unknown, we use a standard formula acknowledging 'all ancestors of this family on both sides.' If the death date is unknown, Pitru Paksha or Amavasya are the default timing. Our purohit will guide you on the appropriate adjustments.
Does Shraddha need to be performed at a specific location (Gaya, Kashi, Prayagraj)?
Why must a Brahmin be fed as part of Shraddha?
Pooja Starting From
Starting from ₹2,500
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₹2,500per pandit