Shradh

The rite

Shradh is the ancestral rite in which the family offers food, water, and mantra to pitrus (departed forefathers) so their journey in pitru loka is honoured in Vedic custom. North Indian families in Bengaluru invite Pandit Mrityunjay Sharma to perform shradh at home on the tithi or during pitru paksha instead of travelling to a distant tirtha. The exact form—hiranya, pinda, or combined—depends on what you agree on WhatsApp with birth and death details of the ancestor. You can name everyone who should be included in sankalp when you book, and ask for a shorter or longer format if elders are frail or children need a break.

Time at the house: 2–4 hours depending on pinda and bhojan scale

Pandit Mrityunjay Sharma does this at the house in Bengaluru. The fee is not printed on this page. It is sent on WhatsApp with the material list.

Why families book it

Remembering ancestors is treated as a duty that supports family continuity and gratitude. When children live abroad or elders cannot visit Gaya, a proper home shradh keeps the same sankalp and brahmin bhojan where tradition allows.

Pandit ji guides who sits as kartha, what food is cooked, and how daan fits the day. The rite expresses love and remembrance; it does not claim to resolve property disputes or guarantee blessings in worldly affairs. Cooking the pitru meal together the night before is common; pandit sends a simple menu so the kartha is not overwhelmed on the tithi morning. In Bengaluru, many flats and villas use a terrace or wide balcony for homa when the housing society allows a short fire ritual; mention lift access and wind direction when you message on WhatsApp so Pandit Mrityunjay Sharma can plan a safe kund size. The material list is split between what you buy locally (flowers, fruits, cooking items) and what the acharya brings for mantra and fire. Fee and visit timing stay in the chat—this website does not store your form or quote prices.

When families ask

• Annual tithi (death anniversary lunar date) of a parent or grandparent
• During pitru paksha for general pitru tarpan and shradh
• After upanayan or wedding when first shradh inclusion is custom
• When a new head of family takes up kartha duties
• Mahalaya or amavasya days recommended by family pandit

Short vidhi

1. Sankalp naming the pitru and kartha with gotra
2. Punyahavachan and achaman
3. Pinda dana or hiranya shradh per the form booked
4. Tarpan with sesame and water facing south
5. Vishnu or pitru mantra as per North Indian paddhati
6. Brahmin bhojan or daan of cooked food as arranged
7. Feeding cow, dog, or crow where family custom includes
8. Charity of clothes or grains if elders advise
9. Prokshana of teertha in the home
10. Kartha receives blessings and brief dietary rules for the day

The pandit confirms the order on WhatsApp before the visit.

Samagri

• Black sesame and barley
• Kusha grass and darbha
• Rice balls ingredients for pinda if applicable
• Cooked kheer or special rice for pitru offering
• Ghee, honey, and milk
• Banana leaf or clean plates
• Brass or silver vessels for tarpan
• Flowers and tulsi
• New dhoti or upper cloth for kartha
• Pitru photo or name slip if family uses one
• Fruits and seasonal vegetables for cooking
• Incense and lamp
• Charity items listed separately on WhatsApp
• Clean water from filtered source

The exact list for your day is sent on WhatsApp. This page does not sell a kit and does not say materials are included in a fee.

Questions

What details must we send for shradh?

Ancestor’s name, relationship, date of death, and kartha’s gotra. Tithi calculation may need birth data of the kartha.

Can shradh be done if the son lives abroad?

A relative in Bengaluru often acts as kartha with proxy sankalp. Discuss family situation on WhatsApp.

Is non-vegetarian food ever used?

Many North Indian home shradhs are strictly vegetarian. Follow the menu pandit sends for your lineage.

Hiranya shradh versus full pinda—what do we book?

Hiranya is symbolic with gold or sesame substitute when full pinda is not feasible. State your need when messaging.

Can women perform kartha?

Custom varies; many traditions use eldest son. Pandit ji will honour your family’s valid practice if documented.

Do you arrange brahmin lunch?

Family usually cooks and serves; pandit performs vidhi. Extra guests can be noted so timing fits.

What should kartha eat after the rite?

Often one meal with specific restrictions the same day. Pandit explains at the end of the ceremony.