Prayagraj has introduced a new ‘Pitru Package’ aimed at individuals wishing to perform ancestral rituals during Pitru Paksha but unable to travel to the city. This initiative, developed by a group of teerth purohits, includes arrangements for pilgrimage alongside pind daan (a ritual offering to ancestors) and tarpan (a water offering) services. The package covers key pilgrimage sites in Prayagraj, Kashi, and Gaya, providing a convenient solution for those honoring their ancestors from afar.
The organisers said NRIs observing Pitru Paksha will also be encouraged to follow a simple lifestyle for the 15-day period, including offering water to their ancestors every morning, avoiding meat and alcohol and having ‘satvik’ food. Because of work and other commitments, committee president and teerth purohit Pradeep Pandey said many people wanted to perform rituals for their ancestors during Pitru Paksha but could not travel to Prayagraj.
Those who do come often face difficulties in finding a purohit and arranging accommodation and food, he said. Ancestors are believed to visit the earth during Pitru Paksha to receive food from their descendants and attain liberation, according to Vishwa Purohit Parishad president Bipin Pandey. “This is why pind daan, tarpan, havan and food donation are considered especially significant during Pitru Paksha,” he said.
The package, launched by teerth purohits associated with Jai Triveni Jai Prayag Seva Samiti, will include arrangements for purohits, travel, accommodation and food at the three pilgrimage centres. As per religious tradition, after Prayagraj, pind daan is performed in Kashi (Varanasi) and Gaya.