We offer Tarpanam to 12 of our recently departed ancestors. These may be your parents, grandparents and so on. People in your parental lines are the only ones who are included in this Tarpanam . So, uncles, aunts or cousins are excluded from Pitru Tarpanam worship. If the girls are married, their husband can do the ritual even if his father is alive. The daughters whether married or not can perform.

Tarpan is the ritual offering that is made to the departed souls on new moon days. In this ritual, boiled rice, sesame seeds and water are offered to the spirits. The biggest significance of tarpan is that it is believed to bring peace and happiness in your life.

Yes, we can do the 'Tarpanam' at home. The priests have advised that the 'BaliTarpanam' be done at home and not outside. The essence of this ritual is to remember our ancestors and make them happy by offering water and sesame seeds to them. It also helps you relieve yourself of the pain due to their death.

Generally, the ritual is performed by the eldest or the youngest son. But in their absence, other household members are allowed to perform Tarpan to their ancestors. This can be a great way for you to show your family how much you care about them and those who have passed on.

As per the holy texts, women are not supposed to perform Pitru Karyams, but with the changing pace of customs and their interpretations, everything is acceptable today and it is in the view of the person who does this.

Tarpanam is a very important holy day for the Hindus. On that day, we have to pay homage to our ancestors who have left this world and attained salvation in their heaven. Tarpanam is an integral part of Hinduism and most of the people practice it these days because they believe in its significance.

Tarpanam is a ritual performed by family members to propitiate the dead ancestors. It is believed that if Tarpanam is not performed then the Pithru devas will curse us so that we may not have male descendants to offer Tarpanam to us.

Offering a tarpan with black seeds is like offering water and milk, which should be performed by facing East. The water is used to wash the feet of ancestors' soul along with the chanting of mantras. Then, after the tarpan is completed, one should offer food to those who have come for the ceremony.

The rites of tarpan burial and pind daan should be done on the tithi in which the person died. The exact date of death is generally known by the family members and hence pind daan is possible but only if it is done on the Amavasya of Shraddha Paksha . If however, one does not know about this then tarpan can be done with an offering of clothes to Brahmins on any day on which it gets dark after sunrise.