Remembering souls lost to female foeticide in Pitra Paksh

Ojha, who has been performing the ritual for the last nine years, said the Shraadh ceremony was carried out for around 13,000 such foetuses.

Sending a strong message across the community, a group of priests held a Shraadh for foetuses that had fallen victim to female foeticide, here, on Monday.

A group of priests held a Shraadh for foetuses that had fallen victim to female foeticide, in Varanasi, on Monday (HT Photo)

“Varanasi is the city of Moksha. And we believe that these poor souls too have an equal right to attain Moksha. Hence, we organised a Shraadh ceremony (a religious ceremony performed to pay respects to departed souls) during ongoing Pitra Paksha,” said Santosh Ojha, president of Agman Social Welfare Organization which organised the event at Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Ojha, who has been performing the ritual for the last nine years, said the Shraadh ceremony was carried out for around 13,000 such foetuses. People from all walks of life also paid homage to the departed souls.

Pandit Dinesh Shankar, one of the priests who carried out the ceremony, while explaining the significance of offering rituals during Pitra Paksha, said it’s a 15-day period to pay homage to departed souls.

“It is believed that this 15-day period is the time to pay back the debt to ancestors and forefathers. It’s perhaps the most auspicious for performing post-death rituals and rites such as Shraadh, Pitru Tarpan, Daan, etc. to the deceased ancestors’ and departed souls.”

While highlighting the significance of the rituals, Mishra further said that the Pitra Paksh is the perfect time to visit holy places like Varanasi to perform the Shraadh puja like Anna Shraadh. This 15-day Shraadh puja includes different rituals followed by offerings of food. Hindu religion believes that during Pitra Paksha or Mahalaya Paksha period ancestors’ souls come to Earth to receive the offerings and to bless their family members.