The Shraddha Procedure — Step by Step
The Shraddha Procedure
What actually happens on the day, in order — and what the family needs to prepare, wear and avoid. The same sequence holds across Masikam, Samvatsarikam and Taddinam.
The sequence
Shraddha follows a fixed order. The purohit leads it; one member of the family performs it as karta; everyone else attends.
- Sankalpa — The vow that opens the rite: who is performing it, for whom, of which gotra, on which tithi and to what purpose. Nothing proceeds until this is stated correctly, which is why we ask for the gotra in advance.
- Invoking the Pitrus and Vishwedevas — The ancestors and the Vishwedevas are invited into the seats prepared for them. Darbha is laid, and the karta wears the pavitram, a ring of darbha grass.
- Tarpanam — Water with black sesame — nalla nuvulu — offered through the darbha to the departed and the forebears.
- Pinda pradanam — Pindam prepared from cooked rice with ghee and sesame, offered to sustain the departed.
- Brahmana bhojanam or swayampakam — The meal is offered, and brahmanas or the deserving are fed in the ancestors' name. Where feeding is not arranged, swayampakam — uncooked provisions — is given instead.
- The kaaki offering — A portion is set out in the open for the crow and other beings, as tradition prescribes. Families often wait for it to be taken; there is no requirement that it must be.
- Dakshina and namaskaram — Dakshina is offered with betel leaves and the family makes namaskaram to the ancestors. The rite closes here.
Two of these steps carry a great deal of meaning on their own. What the offerings signify is set out separately.
What the family needs to have ready
Very little, and none of it needs buying. The samagri is brought.
Gotra and names
The gotra, and the name of the departed. For parvana rites, three generations on that side. If nobody living remembers, tell us — there is a prescribed way to proceed without it.
Date and tithi
The date of the passing. We work the tithi from the panchangam and confirm it before anything is arranged.
A clean space
A quiet spot in the house, ideally facing south or with room to sit facing south. A courtyard, terrace or riverbank also serves.
Who will be karta
One person performs; the rest attend. Decide beforehand rather than on the morning.
Observances on the day
These are the things families most often ask about the morning before, usually having been told them late and incompletely.
- Nothing is eaten by the karta before the offering is complete. Others in the house may eat, though many choose not to.
- Onion and garlic are kept out of everything cooked for the day.
- The karta bathes beforehand and wears fresh clothes — ordinarily a dhoti, undyed or plain. A pancha is fine; new clothes are not expected.
- Oil, and cutting hair or nails, are avoided on the day by the karta.
- The offering is not photographed in most families. Ask before anyone does.
None of this is a test. If something was missed — the karta ate, the clothes were wrong, the timing slipped — the rite is not void. Say so to the purohit and he will make the correction within the sankalpa. That is what it is there for.
How long it takes
Two to three hours for Masikam and for Taddinam, including the meal. Samvatsarikam is longer and in some families spans more than a day. The purohit confirms the timing when he confirms the tithi, so the household can plan around it.
Rites are ordinarily performed in the aparahna — the early afternoon — rather than the morning. The purohit will give you the window.
Verified Telugu purohits who perform the full vidhi with correct paddhati and complete samagri, on the confirmed tithi, at your home or a sacred place across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Tell us the rite and the date of the passing; we confirm the tithi first, at no charge.
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What is the procedure of shraddha?
Sankalpa; invoking the Pitrus and Vishwedevas; tarpanam; pinda pradanam; brahmana bhojanam or swayampakam; the kaaki offering; and dakshina with namaskaram. The same order holds across Masikam, Samvatsarikam and Taddinam, with each rite's particulars added.
How long does it take?
Two to three hours for the annual rites, including the meal. Samvatsarikam runs longer and can extend across more than one day. The purohit will tell you when he confirms the tithi.
Who performs the rite?
One person acts as karta — ordinarily the son, wearing the pavitram, guided by the purohit. Where there is no son or he is unable, daughters, widows and other close relatives perform these rites in a great many families.
What should the family prepare?
The gotra and the names, a clean quiet space, and a decision about who will be karta. Everything else — darbha, black sesame, pinda rice, the dravyas — we bring.
What should the karta wear?
A dhoti or pancha, plain or undyed, after bathing. New clothes are not expected. Oil, and cutting hair or nails, are avoided on the day.
Can it be performed in a flat?
Yes, and most now are. A quiet room and somewhere to set out the kaaki offering — a balcony or window ledge serves — is enough. Nothing about the rite requires a house or a riverbank.
Can women perform shraddha?
In many families, yes, and it is more common than people assume. Daughters perform these rites where there is no son, as do widows for a husband. If you are unsure what your family follows, ask the purohit when he calls — he will not be surprised by the question.
Do we have to feed brahmanas?
Where it can be arranged it is done. Where it cannot, swayampakam — uncooked rice and provisions given in place of the meal — is the accepted substitute and is entirely proper.
Read further
Everything described here comes with the purohit, prepared correctly, so nobody in the family has to source it.
See ancestral rite options