What is Pitripaksha Mela ?
Pitripaksha Mela is a fortnight-long festival of souls, a world event staged in Gaya is being organised every year which starts from the day of Anant Chaturdashi of Bhadra Shuklapaksh and ends on pratipada of Ashwin Shuklapaksha according to the Hindi Calendar(Which comes generally in September & October every year). This Mela is very important for religious, mythological & historical reasons. A large number of Pilgrims belonging to Sanatan Hindu religions visit Gaya every year to offer “Pinda” for obtaining Moksh for their ancestors and for this reason they offer “Pinda” & perform religions ceremonies on “54 Vedis” located at Vishnupad Temple, Falgu River, Akshaywat & various other places. It is believed that performing “Pindadan” in Gaya in the “Pitripaksh” helps in attaining Moksha to the souls of the ancestors. Thousands and thousands of pilgrims from different parts of the country and neighbor countries such as NEPAL & BANGLADESH, and all the Hindus spreaded around the world perform the “PINDADAAN” ritual at these points.
पितृपक्ष मेला आत्माओं का एक पखवाड़ा लंबा त्यौहार है जिसे गया में , एक विश्व कार्यक्रम के रुप में हर साल आयोजित किया जाता है और जो भाद्र शुक्लपक्ष के अनंत चतुर्दशी के दिन से शुरू होता है और हिंदी कैलेंडर के अनुसार अश्विन शुक्लक्षक्ष के प्रतिपदा पर समाप्त होता है। (जो आम तौर पर अंग्रेजी कैलेंडर में हर साल सितंबर और अक्टूबर के महीने में आता है।)। धार्मिक, पौराणिक और ऐतिहासिक कारणों के लिए यह मेला बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है।
देश के विभिन्न हिस्सों और नेपाल और बांग्लादेश जैसे पड़ोसी देशों के हजारों तीर्थयात्रियों और दुनिया भर में फैले सभी हिंदू इन स्थानों पर “पिंडदान” अनुष्ठान करते हैं।
What is Pind Daan?
Pind daan may be considered to be the way of Mukti. Mukti means Free from the Circle of Life and death & rebirth.
पिंड दान क्या है ?
पिंड दान मुक्ति प्राप्ति का एक मार्ग माना जा सकता है। मुक्ति का मतलब है जीवन और मृत्यु और पुनर्जन्म के सर्कल से मुक्त।
Why Pind Daan at Gaya?
Gaya is considered to be the most pious place on this earth. It is so pious that if someone comes to this land either alive or even after death then he or she will become so pure and so he or she will be free from Circle of Life and death & rebirth. Pind daan is a procedure to call forefathers or dead souls to this pious place who are wandering and waiting for mukti i.e. want to get free from circle of Life and death & rebirth. there are some unique procedure to call them and these procedures are done by their descendents through Pandas from Gayaji and some other places, uniquely known as pind daan.
गया में पिंड दान क्यों?
गया की इस धरती को नैऋत्य कोण पर स्थित माना जाता है, अतः गया को इस धरती को दुनिया का सबसे पवित्र स्थान माना जाता है। यह इतनी पवित्र है कि अगर कोई इस धरती पर जीवित रहते या फ़िर मृत्यु के बाद भी आता है तो वह इतना शुद्ध हो जाता है कि वो मृत्यु और पुनर्जन्म से मुक्त हो सके। पिंड दान पूर्वजों या मृत आत्माओं को इस पवित्र स्थान पर बुलाए जाने की प्रक्रिया है जो मुक्ति के लिए इंतजार कर रहे हैं यानी जीवन और मृत्यु और पुनर्जन्म के चक्र से मुक्त होना चाहते हैं। उन्हें बुलाने के लिए कुछ अनूठी प्रक्रियाएं हैं जिसे उस मृत आत्मा के वंशजों के द्वारा कुछ विशेष प्रक्रियाओं के द्वारा सम्पन्न कराया जाता है । और ये प्रक्रियाएं गयाजी अथवा कुछ अन्य स्थानों के तीर्थपुरोहित के द्वारा सम्पन्न कराया जाता है ।
Myth behind Pind Daan at Gaya
According to Vayupuran, when creating mankind, Brahma created a demon named Gayasur. The demon went atop the kolahal Mountain and offered great penance to Lord Vishnu. Pleased with Gayasur, Lord Vishnu asked him to seek one boon. So,Gayasur requested that whoever came in touch with him – be it an angel or a demon, an insect, a sinner, a saint or a sage, or an evil spirit – should find salvation after having been purified of all sins. From that day everyone who came in touch with him found salvation and proceeded to vaikunth (abode of Lord Vishnu).
गया में पिंड दान के पीछे के मिथक
वायुपुराण के अनुसार, मानव जाति बनाने के दौरान, ब्रह्मा ने गयासुर नामक एक राक्षस बनाया। राक्षस कोलाहल पर्वत के ऊपर चला गया और भगवान विष्णु की कठीन तपस्या की। गयासुर से प्रसन्न, भगवान विष्णु ने उन्हें एक वरदान लेने के लिए कहा। इसलिए, वरदान के रुप में गयासुर ने भगवान विष्णु से अनुरोध किया कि जो भी उसके साथ संपर्क में आए – चाहे वह एक देव या राक्षस, एक कीट, एक पापी, संत या ऋषि, या एक दुष्ट आत्मा हो – सभी पापों के शुद्ध होने के बाद मोक्ष प्राप्त होना चाहिए। उस दिन से जो उसके साथ संपर्क में आया वह मोक्ष पाया और वैकुंठ (भगवान विष्णु का निवास) चला गया।
Who performed Pind Daan at Gaya first ?
It is believed that it was Lord Brahma who first performed the pind daan ceremony in Gaya. Since then this tradition has continued.
गया में पिंड दान सर्वप्रथम किसने किया?
ऐसा माना जाता है कि भगवान ब्रह्मा ने पहली बार गया में पिंड दान किया था। तब से यह परंपरा जारी है।
When and how to perform Pind Daan at Gaya?
Pinddaan mela starts from the day of Anant Chaturdashi of Bhadra Shuklapaksh and ends on pratipada of Ashwin Shuklapaksha according to the Hindi Calendar(Which comes generally in September & October every year). This Mela is very important for religious, mythological & historical reasons.Offering pind daan during the dark fortnight of Ashvin is of special significance. Symbolically a pind is a round ball made of a mixture of oats and rice flour with some sesame seeds mixed along with some milk and honey. Seven balls are made out of 100 grams of flour. Of these, one is offered to the deceased and the rest to others as desired.
Earlier pind daan was performed around the year. There were 360 platforms where pind daan was done with wheat and oat flour mixed with dried milk. Pind daan is also performed symbolically with mud balls. Presently pind daan is performed at Vishnu temple, Akshay,Vat,Phalgu and Punpun river, Ramkund, Sitakund, Brahm Mangalpuri, Kagbali, and with the five pilgrimages they together make 48 platforms where pind daan is performed. In the Kurmpuran, 34/7-8, it is said: “All forefathers appreciate a pilgrimage to Gaya by their successors. Once the pind daan is performed in Gaya, one achieves salvation. One becomes free of rebirth. If one visits Gaya even once and offers pind daan, the forefathers become free from hell and other dreadful destinations and achieve salvation.”In the Kurmpuran it is also said that whoever goes to Gaya for pind daan is blessed and seven generations from the paternal and maternal side are benefited along with the personal self who achieves salvation.
गया में पिंड दान कब और कैसे करें ?
Types of Pind Daan & Shradha karm
Ekodristi Gaya Sradha
Ekodristi Gaya Sraddha is a TIRTH SRADHA, completed in one day only. In Ekodristi Gaya Sraddha normally pilgrims have to cover only three important vedis that is The Falgu river (Niranjana, as mentioned in Ramayana), The Vishnupad temple and The Akshavata. And if the deadth is unusual/accidental then pilgrims have to also perform Pind Daan at PRETSHILA (hill), Gaya kup and Dharmaranya also.People who have scanty time and desire to do Pind Daan in GayaJi for the salvation of their ancestors soul and freed from the agonies of Hell and sent them to Heaven performs Ekodristi Gaya Sraddha in scarce of time.
Vrihada Gaya Sraddha
In khapar/Vrihada Gaya Sraddha Pilgrims have to cover entire 54 vedis to perform Pind Daan.54 Vedis
| 1-Poonpoon charanPuja 2-Falgu River 3-Brahma Kund 4-Pretshilla 5-Ram Shilla 6-Ram Kund 7-Kagbali 8-Uttarmanas 9-Udichi 10-Kankhal 11-Dakhin Manas 12-Jiwha loll 13-Gajadhar Jee 14-Sarswati 15-Dharmaranya 16-BodhGaya 17-Brahma Sarower 18-Kagbali |
19-Amrasichen 20-Rudrapada 21-Brahmapada 22-Vishnupada 23-Kartikpada 24-Dhadikhagni 25-Garpashagni 26-Ahabaniagni 27-Suryapada 28-Chandrapada 29-Ganeshpada 30-Sandyagnipada 31-Yagnipada 32-Dadhisthi pada 33-Kanna pada 34-Mat Gowapi 35-ko pada 36-Agastha pada |
37-Indrapada 38-Kahsyapada 39-Gajakaran 40-RamGaya 41-SitaKund 42-Souvagyadan 43-Gayasir 44-Gayakup 45-Munda Pristha 46-Adi Gaya 47-Dhout Pada 48-Bhim Gaya 49-Go Prachar 50-Gada Loll 51-Dhud Tarpan 52-Baitarni 53-AkshoyBata 54-Gyatri Ghat |
Narayan Bali Sradha
Narayan Bali Sradha – Narayan bali is done to get rid of ancestral curse (Pitru dosh /Pitru Shaap), Narayan Bali ritual is done to fulfill the unsatisfied desires of the ancestral souls which are stuck in the world and trouble their progeny. Narayan Bali consists of the same ritual as Hindu funeral. An artificial body mostly made of five metals is used. Mantras are used to invoke such souls who are having certain wishes remaining attached. The ritual makes them possess the body and the funeral frees them to other world.
Naag Bali Sradha
Naag Bali Sradha – Nag bali is done to get rid of sin performed by killing snake, specially Cobra which is worshipped in India. Nagbali ritual is done to get rid of sin of killing nag (Cobra). In this ritual also the funeral is performed on the body of snake made with wheat dough and metals.
Tripindi Sradha
Tripindi Sradha – Tripindi Shradha is an offering in the memory of the dear departed. If for three consecutive years the offerings are not made to the dear departed then the dead gets Pret Yoni, so to calm them these offerings are made. This religious act should be performed at a holy place meant for demon liberation or sacrifice. Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh are the main Gods in this rite. In this God Brahma (Silver), Vishnu (Gold), Rudra (Copper) are omnipresent. Tripindi Shradha must be performed to resolve various calamities. Its assertion is mentioned in “Shradha Chintamani”. In the end one must perform Tripindi Shradha as per the tradition and conventions.
