Shraadh Pooja
Poojas to calm the athmas of our dear ones on their death anniversaries:
Ashma shanti poojas are performed every year to remember our near and dear ones on their death days along with Anna dhanam and offering clothes for the poor. This has been an age old custom in India. It is believed that dead ones come to visit us once in a year and it is mandatory that we perform a simple pooja for them to show that we still love and remember them. They would accept the pooja and return happily by leaving loads of happiness and good luck for the family. If they are not remembered and if poojas are not performed for them on this day, it is believed that they remain unhappy and hungry for one year.
Meaning of Shraadh Pooja:
Shraadh Pitru Paksha is the pooja done for departed paternal and maternal relations and is a ritual to express one respect for his ancestors with devotion. They alleviate the sufferings of the dead one and bring prosperity in the family.
Shraadh in the view of Garud Puraan:
In Garud Puraan it is said that by offering these poojas for the ancestors and departed ones, their souls get gratified and they bless the family with children, knowledge, wealth and joys along with a long and healthy life. The pooja is performed on the day of death of the ancestors, if the exact dates are not known; the pooja is performed on every no moon day every month. For people who have died in an accident and some unnatural reason and have believed to have passed by before their time, Shraadh is performed on the last day of the Ashwin month.
Benefits of performing the pooja:
This pooja for the ancestors would bring good fortune for the family and its descendants and yield positive results for progress. Material prosperity is also possible through this pooja. The pooja is also beneficial for early recovery from life threatening diseases and in business/ career prosperity. The pooja also offers protection against enemies and evils.
Pitru Doshams:
Pitru dosh are due to the malefic effects of the planet Jupiter and are not curses of ancestors, but appear on one’s horoscope based on the previous bad karmas done by one’s forefathers. This is followed with series of bad implications on one’s life and would get cleared only when previous karmic debts are cleared, either by sufferings or by good deeds done by a person with Pitru dosh. The Shraadh pooja is also performed to alleviate this Pitru dosh on every Amavasya and in Shraadh days of the Ashwin month to generate maximum effects.
PerformingShraadh Puja:
The pooja ceremony would be performed by two Brahmins or sadhaks as prescribed in ancient literature by offering food and clothes to the poor. The puja is performed every month at the first year of death, and then once in every year. Two pundits would be engaged in the ceremony, of whom one is worshipped as the departed soul and offered with clothes and food to sought his blessing.
Total cost of the pooja is only Rs 3500/-