Taddinam & Abdikam — The Annual Shraddha
Taddinam & Abdikamతద్దినం
The yearly shraddha, kept on the tithi of a parent’s passing. What it involves, what is cooked, who may perform it, and how the date is fixed each year.
What the annual rite is
Taddinam — also called Abdikam, and written in some families as Aabdhikam or Aabhdhikam — is the shraddha performed each year on the tithi of a parent’s or forebear’s death.
After the first year closes with Samvatsarikam, this becomes the settled annual rhythm: the observance through which a family continues to remember and nourish the ancestor, year after year, for as long as the line continues.
If the different names are confusing — and families genuinely use them differently — this page sets out what each one means.
How it works
On the tithi, not the date
తిథిFixed from the panchangam each year. The English date moves, which is why families who remember only the date still need the tithi worked out.
Separately for each parent
A taddinam is kept for the father and for the mother, each on their own tithi. Two observances a year, not one.
Every year, for life
It continues indefinitely, and is passed on. This is the rhythm the first year was preparing for.
Tarpanam and pindam
Offered with the same care as the rites of the first year, though the scale is usually smaller.
What happens on the day
Quieter than the first-year ceremony, and usually attended by the immediate family only. Ordinarily two to three hours including the meal.
- Sankalpam — Who is performing the rite, for whom, in which gotra, on which tithi.
- Tarpanam — Water with black sesame — nalla nuvulu — offered to the ancestors.
- Pinda pradanam — The pindam prepared from cooked rice with ghee and sesame, and offered.
- Bhojanam — The brahmanas are fed, and afterwards the family. Nothing is eaten before the offering is complete.
- Dakshina — Offered at the close, with betel leaves.
The food
Half of what families ask about taddinam is the cooking, and it is rarely written down anywhere useful.
A sattvic meal is prepared fresh for the occasion, without onion or garlic. Beyond that, what is made varies a great deal by family and region — and many households include particular dishes the departed was fond of, which is one of the quieter and more human parts of the whole observance.
Nothing is tasted before the offering is complete. The meal is offered first, then the brahmanas are fed, and the family eats afterwards.
If managing the cooking on the day is difficult — and for a working household it often is — we arrange the swayampakam and the naivedyam, prepared correctly, so the family need not source or cook anything. Tell us what your family usually includes and it will be made.
Both parents, two tithis
A taddinam is kept for the father on his tithi and for the mother on hers. They are separate observances, usually falling months apart, and are not combined.
Families sometimes assume one annual rite covers both. It does not, and discovering that late is a common source of distress. If you are unsure which tithis apply to your family, give us the dates of death and we will work both out.
Remembering the date
Because the rite follows the lunar tithi, the English date shifts every year. This is the single most common reason a taddinam gets missed — not indifference, simply that the date moved and nobody noticed.
We keep the tithi on file once it is fixed, and can tell you before it falls each year, so the date is not something the family has to track.
Tell us the name and gotra, the date of death, and the city. We will confirm the tithi from the panchangam before anything is arranged. Verified Telugu purohits, complete samagri, and the swayampakam if you would like it. There is no obligation.
Arrange TaddinamQuestions families ask
What is Taddinam?
The shraddha performed each year on the tithi of a parent's or forebear's death. Taddinam is the Telugu word most families use; Abdikam is the same rite, and you will also see it written Aabdhikam or Aabhdhikam. If the various names are confusing, we have set out what each one means.
How is it different from Samvatsarikam?
Samvatsarikam is the ceremony at the completion of the first year and is usually larger, often spanning several days. Taddinam is the same observance repeated every year afterwards, on the same tithi. Some families use the words interchangeably.
Is a separate taddinam kept for each parent?
Yes. The father's taddinam falls on his tithi and the mother's on hers, so a family observes two in a year. They are not combined, and the tithis are usually months apart.
What food is prepared for taddinam?
A sattvic meal, cooked fresh for the occasion, without onion or garlic. What is made varies considerably by family and region — particular dishes the departed liked are often included, which is one of the quieter and more human parts of the rite. Nothing is tasted before the offering is complete. If you would rather not manage the cooking, we arrange the swayampakam.
Who may perform it?
Ordinarily a son, though practice varies. Daughters perform these rites in a great many families, as do widows and other representatives where no son is available or able. If your family situation is not straightforward, say so — it is a common question.
What if we forget or miss the tithi?
It is performed as soon after as the purohit advises, with a short prayaschitta sankalpa. Missing a year does not undo anything. If remembering the date each year is the difficulty, tell us — we keep the tithi and can let you know before it falls.
Can it be performed if we live away from the ancestral home?
Yes. It is performed wherever the family lives, and most now are. What matters is the correct tithi, gotra and sankalpa — not the address.
How long does it take?
Ordinarily two to three hours, including the bhojanam. It is a quieter observance than the first-year ceremony and is usually attended by the immediate family only.
Read further
The annual rite falls on the tithi of passing, so the English date moves each year. Tell us the date of death and we will confirm the tithi.
See ancestral rite options