Samir D
Tarpan
One important ritual of Hinduism is "tarpan", that take place on the day of Mahalaya, when many throng to the banks of river Ganga, clad in dhotis to offer Tarpan in memory of their deceased forefathers. People in the pre-dawn hours pray for their demised relatives and take holy dips in the Ganges. This ritual is known as 'Tarpan'. This day bears immense significance for the Bengalis. "Tarpan" means “satisfying” or “satiating”. One acknowledges the debt one has to devas (gods), rishis (sages) and pitris (ancestral manes) and tries to satisfy them using this ritual.Just as gods are invoked in fire in a homam, pitris are invoked in water in this ritual, then held in the palm and released in a specific way conducive to freeing them.
captured during mahalaya, Jagonnath Ghat, kolkata
Tarpan
One important ritual of Hinduism is "tarpan", that take place on the day of Mahalaya, when many throng to the banks of river Ganga, clad in dhotis to offer Tarpan in memory of their deceased forefathers. People in the pre-dawn hours pray for their demised relatives and take holy dips in the Ganges. This ritual is known as 'Tarpan'. This day bears immense significance for the Bengalis. "Tarpan" means “satisfying” or “satiating”. One acknowledges the debt one has to devas (gods), rishis (sages) and pitris (ancestral manes) and tries to satisfy them using this ritual.Just as gods are invoked in fire in a homam, pitris are invoked in water in this ritual, then held in the palm and released in a specific way conducive to freeing them.
captured during mahalaya, Jagonnath Ghat, kolkata