Shradhs are done in Pitru Paksha, which is the period of fifteen lunar days when all Hindus pay homage to their ancestors.
This is done especially through food offerings to the priests, animals and even poor people.
Pitru Paksha, also known as Mahalaya Paksha starts one or two days after Ganesh Visarjan.
These 15 days are dedicated to our ancestors so that people can remember them and pray for their soul.
Usually, shradhs are done every year on the day of deceased death as per the Hindu calendar. But in some cases, people don’t know the date or the month, so they pay their tributes in this 15 day period. For those who don’t even know the ‘tithi’, can pay homage to their ancestors on the last day of ‘shradhs’, which is called the ‘Amavasya’.
As per the logical theories, Shradhs serve as much more than just a tribute to our ancestors.
Earlier, the priests were not very wealthy and these were the days when they used to get a lot of food, good clothes and much more. Similarly, the cows are fed every morning with fresh chapatis and even the crows used to get ample of food. Basically, it wasn’t just to remember the dead but also to do some noble activities and serve the nature in the name of your ancestors. Because the ancestors are not getting what you are donating, but the blessings of those who get whatever you give in these days remain with you.
The true essence of the practice of Shradhs is to take the worldly obligations & sins of the deceased upon oneself so as to aid their souls in their journey of Nirvana.
While the rituals are symbolic, it’s this acceptance of responsibility for the departed that should be kept in mind.
