Pitra Dosh Shanti

About this Ritual

Pitra Dosh Shanti is performed for the peace of the ancestors and is held either during Pitru Paksha — the fortnight set aside for it — or on the tithi of a specific death anniversary. The ceremony centres on tarpan, the offering of water with sesame and darbha grass, followed by a havan and the feeding of brahmins or of the poor. Families often ask whether they must do the feeding; it is traditional, it is not obligatory, and a donation made in the ancestors' name is widely accepted in its place. This is a solemn ceremony and it is often booked in grief. Say so when you book. The pandit will make time for the family rather than treating it as a slot.