Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Sep 30:

Scores of people today thronged religious places and banks of rivers to offer last ‘pind daan’ to their forefathers on the occasion of Pitra Visarjani Amavasya.

In Bhubaneswar, people went to Bindu Sagar to carry out special rituals called ‘Tarpan’. As per rituals, the sons offer food and prayers in the belief that the departed souls would have a smooth transition to heaven.

“On this day of Mahalaya, we offer ‘pind daan’ to our ancestors from paternal and maternal side and seek their blessings,” a visitor to the Bindu Sagar expressed.

Notably, people offer ‘pind daan’ on ‘Pitrapaksha’ who miss out on the opportunity in the year.

Pind are balls made of ice flour, wheat, seasame seeds, honey and milk. Seven pinds are made and offered to the departed souls during the shraddha.

Similarly, people from various parts of the state and outside visited the Jagannath temple in Puri to offer ‘pind daan’ to their ancestors upto three generations. Legend has it that offering Tarpan at the baisi pahacha (22 stairs leading to the temple) of the 12th century shrine gives salvation to the departed soul.

Celebrated a week before the five-day Durga Puja festival, Mahalaya essentially heralds the homecoming of the goddess and signifies the end of Pitrapaksha and the beginning of Debi Paksha (period of the goddess).

The nine-day festival of Navratri begins from tomorrow.