Mahalaya Amavasya rituals and offerings:
The entire Krishna Paksha is called Mahalaya with Amavasya at the end called Mahalaya Amavasya [Mahlu/ Mala amasu (konkani)]. This fortnight is dedicated to our departed forefathers who are supposed to visit us during this period. Tarpans and shradhas are offered in memory of them.
Mahalaya Paksha is a fortnight for ancestral worship. Mahalaya Paksha precedes Mahalaya Amavasya.The pitru tarpana given during this time is a way of showing gratitude to your departed ancestors.
The performance of Shraddha by a son during Pitru Paksha is regarded as a compulsory by Hindus, to ensure that the soul of the ancestor goes to heaven.
The male who performs the shraddha should be take a purifying bath beforehand and is expected to wear a dhoti. He wears a ring of kush grass [darbey (konkani). Then the ancestors are invoked to reside in the ring. The shraddha is usually performed bare-chested, as the position of the sacred thread [janve(konkani)] worn by him needs to be changed multiple times during the ceremony.
The shraddha involves pinda-daan [setha undi (konkani), which is an offering to the ancestors of pindas (cooked rice balls mixed with ghee and black sesame seeds), accompanying the release of water from the hand. It is followed by the worship of Vishnu in form of the darbha grass.
Most of the konkani houses they prepare various dishes, which is offered especially for the ceremony.
Mom cooks the necessary items on the specific occasion days.
The offering is considered to be accepted if a crow arrives and devours the food; the bird is believed to be a messenger from Yama or the spirit of the ancestors. A cow is fed, and Brahmin priests are also offered food , dhoti/shawl[Brahman (konkani)].
During my childhood days, I really used to believe that the crow having the food is my grandpa and great-grandpa & grandma :) Hmmm such innocent days :)
Once the ancestors (crow) and Brahmins have eaten, the family members can begin lunch.
But these days as technology has taken the main lead none have time to perform such rituals as a remembernce of their ancesters.
Its not that we need to be blind folded with superstitous belief, but such rituals might have been evoked just to remember our own ancesters and gratify them. As without them, we could not have been born in this world, don't you think so :D
The entire Krishna Paksha is called Mahalaya with Amavasya at the end called Mahalaya Amavasya [Mahlu/ Mala amasu (konkani)]. This fortnight is dedicated to our departed forefathers who are supposed to visit us during this period. Tarpans and shradhas are offered in memory of them.
Mahalaya Paksha is a fortnight for ancestral worship. Mahalaya Paksha precedes Mahalaya Amavasya.The pitru tarpana given during this time is a way of showing gratitude to your departed ancestors.
The performance of Shraddha by a son during Pitru Paksha is regarded as a compulsory by Hindus, to ensure that the soul of the ancestor goes to heaven.
The male who performs the shraddha should be take a purifying bath beforehand and is expected to wear a dhoti. He wears a ring of kush grass [darbey (konkani). Then the ancestors are invoked to reside in the ring. The shraddha is usually performed bare-chested, as the position of the sacred thread [janve(konkani)] worn by him needs to be changed multiple times during the ceremony.
The shraddha involves pinda-daan [setha undi (konkani), which is an offering to the ancestors of pindas (cooked rice balls mixed with ghee and black sesame seeds), accompanying the release of water from the hand. It is followed by the worship of Vishnu in form of the darbha grass.
Most of the konkani houses they prepare various dishes, which is offered especially for the ceremony.
My granny used to prepare many more items; which I don't think, we youngsters might follow he he he...
Items necessary during the day include udad vada along wheat paysum/chana dal paysum; green gram curry; followed by rest of items like chana and suran gasi, bendi white curry, dal sar so called as var-na, beans upkari.
During my childhood days, I really used to believe that the crow having the food is my grandpa and great-grandpa & grandma :) Hmmm such innocent days :)
Once the ancestors (crow) and Brahmins have eaten, the family members can begin lunch.
But these days as technology has taken the main lead none have time to perform such rituals as a remembernce of their ancesters.
Its not that we need to be blind folded with superstitous belief, but such rituals might have been evoked just to remember our own ancesters and gratify them. As without them, we could not have been born in this world, don't you think so :D
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