Remembrance

Shraddha, tarpan and pind daan

Remembering someone who has died is a quiet duty, and it should not feel complicated. The rites are performed in the tradition your family follows, and explained as gently as the occasion asks for.

Call to discuss remembrance prayersSend a short enquiry

Support through a bereavement

Nothing here is a sales process. It is simply what usually needs to happen, written down so you do not have to hold it all in mind.

Immediate support

A call answered gently, with the first practical steps set out simply.

Rites at home or the funeral home

The rites your family observes, arranged around the funeral director’s timings.

Antim Sanskar

The final rites conducted with care, at a pace that allows the family to be present.

The days that follow

Shraddha and remembrance observances, explained when you are ready to think about them.

A Hindu priest offering a blessing to a family member during a remembrance prayer, with lamps, flowers and a framed photograph in front

Choose the right bereavement guidance

This page is about remembrance: shraddha, tarpan, pind daan and related ancestral rites. If a death has just happened and the funeral or crematorium rites still need arranging, please telephone, and see Hindu funeral rites — that page covers the arrangements themselves.

+44 (0) 7717 154 215

If you are planning ahead — shraddha, tarpan, pind daan or related remembrance prayers — an enquiry is perfectly fine and we will reply personally.

Quick answers

Shraddha, briefly

The questions families most often ask before anything else.

What is shraddha?

Shraddha is the Hindu observance of remembrance for someone who has died. Offerings are made in their name and prayers said for their onward journey — understood in tradition as an act of gratitude and duty towards one’s ancestors.

How is the day decided?

By the tradition your own family keeps. Some households hold the observance on a particular day of the Hindu calendar and others during the fortnight set aside for ancestors. Tell us what your family observes and the prayers are planned around it.

What we are asked for

The observances families arrange

Not every family observes all of these, and none of them is required of you. We will explain what your tradition usually includes and let you decide.

  • Shraddha — remembrance for the departed

    Offerings are made in the name of someone who has died and the family gathers to remember them, in the tradition your own household follows.

  • Tarpan — the offering of water

    Water is offered with sesame seeds, kusha grass and rice while the ancestors are remembered by name. It can be performed on its own or as part of a wider shraddha.

  • Pind daan

    Rice and barley offerings shaped by hand and offered for the departed. Where a family cannot travel to a sacred river, the observance is performed at home in the traditional manner.

  • Pitru Shanti Puja

    Prayers offered for peace for the ancestors, understood in tradition as an act of gratitude and duty rather than a request for anything in return.

  • Remembrance at home or at a temple

    The ceremony is arranged wherever suits your family — at home, at a temple, or at a place that held meaning for the person you have lost.

Preparing

What we will go through together

Four short conversations, in whatever order suits you.

  1. 01

    Tell us about the person

    Their name, and anything your family always observes when remembering them. If your household keeps a particular day for the observance, tell us and we will work around it.

  2. 02

    Decide who will perform the rites

    Traditionally a son performs shraddha, though the shastras allow others in the family where there is no son. Daughters, widows and grandchildren perform these rites in many families, and we will guide whoever is doing so.

  3. 03

    Choose the place and time

    Shraddha is usually performed in the middle part of the day. We will agree the place, the timing and how long to set aside.

  4. 04

    Materials

    You will be given a clear list of what is needed. If you would rather not gather it yourself, the samagri can be arranged for you. Costs are discussed once the ceremony requirements and location are understood.

Questions

Shraddha and ancestral rites

Shraddha is the Hindu observance of remembrance for those who have died. Offerings are made in their name and prayers are said for their onward journey, traditionally understood as an act of gratitude and duty towards one’s ancestors rather than a request for anything in return.

Traditions differ. Some households observe it on a day held by the family, others during the fortnight set aside for remembering ancestors. Tell us the day your family keeps and the prayers can be planned around it.

Yes. The rites are performed in full at your home or at a temple, in the tradition your family follows. Where a particular custom would normally involve travelling to a sacred river in India, the traditional alternative for families abroad is explained and followed.

Yes. Traditionally a son performs the rites, and the shastras also provide for other family members where there is no son. Many families here ask a daughter, widow or grandchild to perform them, and whoever is doing so is guided through each stage.

Water, sesame seeds, kusha grass and rice, offered while the ancestors are remembered by name. The offering is simple, and its meaning is explained as it is made so that everyone present understands what is happening.

Telephone +44 (0) 7717 154 215 if you would rather speak with someone, or send an enquiry saying where you would like the ceremony held. Nothing is confirmed until the ceremony, the timing and what your family includes have been discussed.

Prefer to speak with someone? +44 (0) 7717 154 215

Related

When you are ready

Speak with us about remembrance prayers

Telephone if that is easier, or send a short message. There is no obligation, and a bereavement enquiry is never followed by marketing of any kind.

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