Shraddha Paksha is going on which started on 10th September and is going to continue till 25th September. The last Shraddha is to be performed on the new moon day on 25th September. In Hindu religion, since ancient times, Shraddha rituals and Pind Daan have been performed for the peace and salvation of the souls of ancestors. It is the moral duty of every Hindu to honor the deceased family members and perform Pind Daan to liberate the soul and give them peace. People do this at their homes for the sake of their ancestors. But some places in the country are said to be so sacred that by donating Pind Daan, ancestors attain salvation. After the death of a person, taking his ashes here and donating his body has its special significance. Let us know about these places...

# Varanasi
Varanasi is located on the banks of India's most sacred rivers, the city is considered one of the top pilgrimage destinations in India. Every day lakhs of devotees come to this place to have darshan of Lord Shiva and perform the last rites. There is a tradition of organizing the Pind Daan ceremony at the Ganga Ghat, where the local Brahmin Pandit starts the ritual consisting of chanting mantras and then offering the Pind. The puja involves rice with wheat flour, milk, and honey. Apart from this, all the sins are also washed away by taking a dip in the river Ganga.

#Ujjain
Pind Daan is performed on the banks of the Kshipra River in Ujjain, the city of Mahakal. After getting your ancestors worshiped for attaining salvation, do not forget to visit Baba Mahakal, Mahakal is the twelfth Jyotirlinga. Near Ujjain there are places like Omkareshwar and Maheshwar where there is Narmada river.

#Badrinath
Pind Daan can be performed on Brahmakapal in Badrinath, Uttarakhand. It is said that by offering Pind Daan here, the souls of the ancestors are liberated from hell. According to Skanda Purana, Pind Daan of Brahmakapal is eight times more fruitful Shraddha pilgrimage than Gaya. At this very place, Lord Shiva had also repented to be free from the sin of Brahmacharya.

# Gaya
Gaya is considered the city of Vishnu. This is called the land of salvation. It has also been discussed in Vishnu Purana and Vayu Purana. According to Vishnu Purana, by performing Pind Daan in Gaya, ancestors get salvation and they reside in heaven. It is believed that Vishnu himself is present here in the form of Pitru Deity, hence it is also called 'Pitru Tirtha'. It is said that this place has been described as Gayapuri in both Ramayana and Mahabharata. It is said that almost everyone in Bihar goes to Bodh Gaya for Pind Daan. There are more than 20 places where Pinda Daan is done. After donating Pind here, you can also visit Mahabodhi Temple, Brahmayoni Hill, etc.

# Kurukshetra
Sanhit Sarovar is located in Thanesar in Kurukshetra district of Haryana in North India and the lake is considered to be the place of confluence of seven sacred rivers. Devotees arrive here for the Pind Daan ceremony of the departed take a dip in the water and chant mantras. Not only this, rice balls are made and offered to the souls of ancestors and their names. Organizing the ceremony brings peace to the soul and peace of mind to the descendants.

# Pushkar
The sacred lake in Pushkar, Rajasthan is believed to have emerged from the navel of Lord Vishnu and according to some, it came into existence when Lord Brahma dropped a lotus flower here. There are 52 ghats around the lake and bathing places where devotees usually attend the Pinda Daan ceremony held during the holy month of Ashwin.

# Haridwar
Apart from this, Haridwar is also considered important for Pind Daan. Pind Daan is said to have great importance on Narayani Shila in Haridwar. That is why many people come to Haridwar during Pitru Paksha and offer Pind Daan for their ancestors. While taking a dip in the Ganges of Haridwar gives freedom from sin, offering Pind Daan here gives salvation to the ancestors. It also brings happiness and peace to the family.

#Prayagraj
Prayagraj, situated on the banks of the confluence of the Ganga-Yamuna and Saraswati rivers, is a holy place for donating Pind. There is a belief about this place that whoever donates the body of his ancestors on the banks of the confluence of rivers gets not just one but ten times the virtue. Another belief is that just by taking a bath in the Triveni Sangam present here, all the sins of life are automatically washed away. In such a situation, if you want to go to Prayagraj to donate Pind, then you can go to Triveni Sangam beach.

# Mathura
Mathura is a holy pilgrimage city and one of the favorite places for Pind Daan ceremonies. These are usually held at Vishranthi Tirtha, Bodhini Tirtha or Vayu Tirtha on the banks of river Yamuna. Seven pandas or round-shaped balls of rice are prepared, mixed with honey and milk as an offering to the spirits of the deceased and ancestors, and are offered while chanting mantras.

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