The Brahmins of Braj took a holy dip in the Yamuna and performed tarpan on the occasion of the beginning of pitru paksha. The members of the Brahmin Mahasabha, led by Shri Suresh Chandra Sharma, were the first to take the sacred bath at Keshi Ghat in the morning of the auspicious day. The priests reached the ghats early in the morning to help the devotees perform tarpan or shraadh for their ancestors.
Following the age old traditions, people donate food, money and clothes to Brahmins and saints so that their ancestors might receive blessings. Pitru paksha is a period of 16 days that is dedicated to the ancestors. According to Hindu mythology, the tradition of offering shraadh or donations during pitru paksha is attributed to Karna. It is believed that during this time the spirits leave pitru loka and reside in their descendant’s home for a month until the sun enters the next zodiac.
