Shraddha is a ritual for remembrance of dead ancestors performed every year on the day of their demise. The Shraddha ceremony is marked by prayers and offerings to ensure the well-being of the departed souls. By honoring the ancestors and wishing for their souls to attain salvation, Shraddha rituals acts as a way to show indebtedness for their role in making the present and future lives possible.

Those performing the Shraddha ritual will receive the blessings of good luck and fortunes from the ancestors who wish the well-being of the descendants.

The day to perform Shraddha each year is calculated by a learned purohit or a Vedic astrologer. The day of Shraddha each year is chosen such that it coincides with the death anniversary of the person as per the lunar calendar. On the day of ceremony, the purohit will offer prayers to the gods and ancestors by reciting Vedic mantras, which will be followed by the ritualistic offering of food called Pindadaan to the deceased souls. The offering is prepared by mixing rice, barley, milk, honey, ghee, sugar, and other ingredients, which is then fed to a cow or immersed in a water body.

The Pindadaan is followed by Tarpan, an offering of water mixed with sesame seeds, barley, darbhe grass and flour to the departed ancestors. The pinda and tarpan offerings will bring satisfaction and peace to the departed souls and bring blessings and good fortunes to the descendants who perform the ceremony.

The Shraddha ceremony is concluded by offering food to brahmins, followed by family members who were part of the ceremony.

Depending on the preference, the Shraddha ceremony can be performed either at home or in holy places of religious significance.