Honoring Ancestors
People from very ancient times had realized that those who lived before them in this world had contributed immensely to their lives and wellbeing. Hence, all ancient civilizations in the world acknowledged such contributions of the ancestors and had a tradition and well laid down practices of honoring them.
Pitru Paksha and Mahalaya Amavasya are the occasions specially earmarked for such ancestral veneration.
Mahalaya Amavasya and Pitru Paksha
Amavasya is the New Moon day, considered sacred for offering prayers to the deceased forefathers. ‘Pitrus’ are departed ancestors, whereas ‘Paksha’ refers to a period of 15 days; so, ‘Pitru Paksha’ is the sacred fortnight meant for honoring the departed elders. The Amavasya that falls in this period becomes extremely holy for ancestral veneration and is called Pitru Paksha Amavasya or Mahalaya Amavasya.
The Pitru Paksha corresponds to the Krishna Paksha, the Moon’s dark fortnight in the Tamil month of Purattasi (mid-September – mid-October), and ends on the New Moon day of Mahalaya Amavasya.
This Mahalaya Amavasya 2021, also called Pitru Paksha Amavasya 2021, is observed on 6th October this year.
What Do Ancestors Mean to Us?
The earth and its beings are millions of years old, and thousands of generations of people have lived before us here.
In the earlier times, only animals existed on the planet, and those were bothered only about filling their stomachs, sleeping, reproducing, and surviving. Even the earlier human beings who appeared subsequently were no different. But slowly, the man began evolving, started standing erect on 2 legs, learned to use his hands, made tools, mastered the art of making fire, prepared cooked food, designed wheels, began wearing clothes, and started living in shelters like caves and other places. He also evolved the art of communicating meaningfully with others and developed languages. Thus man started growing slowly as a civilized being.
These are modern times when we live in grand buildings, wear fancy clothes, consume sumptuous food items, and use technology generously to make a living and also turn our lives comfortable.
This is how man evolved from being only an animal-like, primitive life form into a well-rounded human being! Here, it is not hard to understand that it is only the painstaking efforts of our ancestors over thousands of years of their existence that have contributed to our good lives and wellbeing today.
And occasions like Pitru Paksha and Mahalaya Amavasya provide us the opportunity to realize that all that we are and are enjoying today are only the gifts passed on by our ancestors; and that we should ever be grateful to them for all that they have contributed to us to make our lives worth living.
Pitru Paksha and Mahalaya Amavasya – Significance
Thus, the Pitru Paksha period and Mahalaya Amavasya day are dedicated to the deceased ancestors, when we remember them with warmth, acknowledge the sacrifices they have made for our sake with gratitude, appreciate their contributions to our good lives today, and show our respect and regard to them. During the entire Pitru Paksha fortnight and particularly on Mahalaya Amavasya day, people perform simple rituals like Tarpanam or Shraddha ceremony and make offerings that include sesame seeds, rice grains, etc. water, and sometimes cooked rice and a few other items, and worship them with devotion and faith.
In addition, this occasion also marks the beginning of a festive period. In many regions, new crops might give bountiful yields at this time, which are cooked and offered to ancestors, to begin with, as a mark of respect to them. Besides, Mahalaya Amavasya also signals the start of the sacred Navaratri period, dedicated to the Goddess, and Vijayadasami, the grand day of victory of the good over the evil.
Let us remember our ancestors with gratitude on this Mahalaya Amavasya 2021, or Pitru Paksha Amavasya 2021, and seek their blessings for prosperity and welfare.
