Shraddh will starts 30 Sapetember 2012 with and to Mahalaya Amavashya on 15 October 2012.
Shraddh Ceremoney
On each day of the dark fortnight (Pitra Paksha), special offerings are made to the ancestors whose lunar date (Tithi) of death corresponds to that particular day. Favourite food items of the departed person are specially prepared and offered after performing a puja .
One must offer food to Brahmin and donate Yatha Shakti. A small portion of the food is also offered to the Cow (Gow Grass) before offering it to Brahmin..
A small portion of the food is also offered to the crow who is considered as a connection between the world of the living and the world of the dead. Round balls of rice and flour, called pinda , are also offered, along with the sacred kusha grass and flowers, amidst sprinkling of water and chanting of mantras from the Sam Veda.
The pitru paksha shraddh is performed for all dead ancestors. The offerings are said to reach all the dead relatives of the person who performs the rites. Tarpana offered on the last day of the pitru paksha reach even those who died without having any children. Even those who did not offer food to the poor in their life time and those who did not perform any acts of charity and were thus denied any comfort in the pitru lok (house of the dead), receive benefits from the shraddhperformed during pitru paksha. Also those whose date of death is not known and thus for whom the yearly shraddh cannot be performed, receive oblations offered during pitru paksh. Further, those who died a violent death also benefit from oblations offered during this fortnight.
On the day of the shraddh, the souls of dead relatives are invoked. According to matsya puran, these souls are identified with vasu, rudra and adityas who are the shraddh deities. the food offered to the Brahmins on the day of the shraddh and the oblations offered to the sacrificial fire by uttering the name and gotra (clan name) of the dead relative, is transformed by the power of the mantras (sacred hymns) into food appropriate for their present bodies. agni, vasus and the rudras act as celestial messengers and take this food to the respective souls. The ancestors then bless the performer of the shraddh with health, wealth and prosperity.
What customs should one observe during pitru paksha.
Shraddh Calander With Details
Purnima (Full Moon) ka shraddha: 30Sep 2012
Ekam (Pratipada) ka shraddha: 1 Oct
Dyitia ka Shraddh: 2 Oct
Tritiya ka Shraddha: 3 Oct
Chaturthi ka shraddh: 4 Oct
Panchami ka shraddh: 5 Oct
Shasthi ka shraddh: 6 Oct
Saptami ka shraddh: 7 Oct
Ashtami ka shraddh: 8 Oct (Jivitputrika Vrat)
Navami ka shraddh: 9 Oct.
Dashmi ka shraddha: 10 Oct
Ekadasi ka shraddh: 11 Oct
Dwadashi ka shraddh: 12 Oct
Tryodashi ka shraddh: 13 Oct
Chaturdashi ka shraddh (only when death due to accident, murder, by poisons etc): 14 Oct
