Śrāddha

Śrāddha (Sanskrit: श्राद्ध), is a ritual that some Hindus perform to pay homage to their pitṛs (dead ancestors).

[2][3][4] In practice, the karta (person who performs the Śrāddha): (1) Invites Brahmanas (priests) that day, invokes in them the divinity of his/her parent, worships and feeds them.

(2) Performs a homa (fire ritual), appeasing Agni and Soma – the deities who transmit the offerings to the ancestors, nourish and protect them.

At this time (generally September) crops in India and Nepal are ready and the produce is offered as a mark of respect and gratitude (by way of pinda) first to the ancestors be they parents or forefathers before other festivals like Navaratri begin.

Many people visit Hindu pilgrimage sites to perform, Śrāddha ceremonies, like Pehowa, Kurukshetra, Haridwar, Gokarna, Nashik, Gaya etc.