I shoot pictures , as I see them eclipsed on the soul of my poetry , I shoot Hinduism pictorially but I have limited knowledge , so for my foreigner friends followers I borrow text from Hindu blogs .
I have been shooting Pitru Paksha or Pitru Visajan since many years at Banganga Tank Walkeshwar .
I try not to miss it for two reasons , one I like Banganga , and secondly I like shooting street barbers , and mind you this event where the North Indian migrant from Uttar Pradesh comes in hordes to Banganga to appease his dead ancestors and participates in religious tonsure , shaving his scalp , beard , armpit , even nails of his fingers are clipped , and barbers are here in large numbers , even those guys wanting to make a fast buck become barbers for a day, cutting up the North Indian migrant badly ,,
The puja performers are predominantly North Indian Brahmins , the puja articles are sold by the Maharashtrian local ladies the pindis etc,,
The Banganga residents local leaders try their utmost to keep the tank clean, boats are used and the puja materials are immediately removed after immersion..you see a lot of photographers here documenting this feast.. but Bipin Kokate of Midday is always energetically in the forefront ,shooting the aesthetics of spiritual decorum and dignity.
I am a known face I shoot this event barefeet and shooting this ritual has been cathartic to my body mind and soul.
All this is part of my album Hope And Hindutva ,,and my 57000 blogs on Hinduism..a rich path of Wisdom Peace Hope and Harmony.
And for once I pray to God to open the windows of Mr Subramaniam Swamis congested mind , that even Muslims like me contribute to the richness of our culture despite our diverse ideologue ,,we are two sides of a single coin Mother India ..even parrots can recite Vande Matram but nationalism comes from within deep down of the fountain of our origins ,,
The ritual of sraddha
From the Mahabharata
Anusasana Parva, Section LXXXIV + Sec.XCII
Translated by Sri Kisari Mohan Ganguli
Bhishma said: When my father Santanu of great energy departed from this world, I proceeded to Gangadwara for performing his Sraddha. My mother, Jahnavi, coming there, rendered great help.
Having with a concentrated mind performed all preliminary rites as laid down in the scriptures, I set myself to duly offer the obsequial cake. Reflecting then, by the light of the scriptures, the conviction soon came upon me that the ordinance does occur in the Vedas that the cake should not be presented into the hand of him whose Sraddha is performed. The Pitris do not come in their visible forms for taking the cake.
On the other hand, the ordinance provides that it should be presented on the blades of Kusa grass spread on the earth for the purpose. What I did was perfectly consistent with the scriptural ordinance.
In making offerings at Sraddhas a share is first offered to the deity of fire(Agni). If a portion of the offerings be first made to the deity of fire at a sraddha, Rakshasas of regenerate origin
cannot then do any injury to such a sraddha. Beholding the deity of fire at a Sraddha Rakshasas fly away from it.
The ritual of Sraddha is that the cake should first be offered to the deceased father. Next, one should be offered to the grandfather. Next should one be offered to the great-grandfather. Even this is the ordinance in respect of the Sraddha. Over every cake that is offered, the offerer should with concentrated attention utter the Savitri Mantra. This other Mantra also should be uttered, viz., unto Soma who is fond of the Pitris.
A woman that has become impure in consequence of the advent of her season, or one whose ears have been cut off, should not be allowed to remain where a Sraddha is being performed. Nor should a woman (for cooking the rice to be offered in the Sraddha) be brought from a Gotra other than that of the person who is performing the Sraddha.
While crossing a river, one should offer oblations of water unto one's Pitris, naming them all. One should next offer such oblations of water to one's deceased friends or relatives. From them that cross a river on boats, the Pitris expect oblations of water. Those that know this always offer oblations of water with concentrated attention unto the Pitris. Every fortnight, on the day of the new moon, one should make offerings unto one's deceased ancestors. growth, longevity, energy, and prosperity become all attainable through devotion to the Pitris.
Even this is the high ritual in respect of the Sraddha. Through Sraddhas performed on earth the deceased members of ones race become freed from a position of misery. I have thus,
O prince of Kuru's race, expounded to thee agreeably with the scriptures, the ordinances in respect of Sraddhas.
