shraddha

shraddha, in Hinduism, a ceremony performed in honor of a dead ancestor. The rite is both a social and a religious responsibility enjoined on all male Hindus (with the exception of some sannyasis, or ascetics). The importance given in India to the birth of sons reflects the need to ensure that there will be a male descendant to perform the shraddha ceremony after one’s death. The word for this funeral rite (Sanskrit: śrāddha) should not be confused with the similar sounding word for faith or belief (Sanskrit: śraddhā).

The shraddha rite is performed for the deceased father, grandfather, and great-grandfather and also for the mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. It is intended to nourish, protect, and support the spirits of the dead in their journey from the lower to the higher realms, preceding their reincarnation and reappearance on Earth. The rites are performed between the 11th and 31st day after death, depending on caste traditions, and at regular intervals thereafter. The first annual death anniversary is observed by a shraddha ceremony that enables the deceased (preta) to be admitted into the assembly of forefathers (pitri).