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Thai Amavasya: The Best Day To Propitiate Ancestors and Receive Their Blessings

DateJanuary 8, 2018

Amavasya, an Introduction

The New Moon Day is called Amavasya or Amavasai. The Sanskrit word ‘Ama’ means ‘together’ and ‘Vasya’ is ‘to dwell’. There is a cycle of 30 lunar phases as per the calendar and each of them is called a Thithi. The Thithi of dark Moon, when the Moon is not seen in the sky, is referred to as Amavasya Thithi or simply as, Amavasya. As per the Hindu lunar calendar that is widely used in the country, a lunar month starts on Pournami or the full Moon day and Amavasya, falls in its middle. Amavasya is considered auspicious for various activities and especially for worshipping the ancestors.

Thai is the tenth month of the Tamil Calendar, which corresponds to mid-January to mid-February and is regarded as a very auspicious one. It begins on the sacred Uttarayan day, when the Sun starts on its northward journey in the celestial sphere. It is on the same day that the important festival of Pongal is also celebrated.

Thai Amavasya: The Best Day To Propitiate Ancestors and Receive Their Blessings

Significance of ancestor worship

On death, the souls get separated from their bodies, start on their heavenly journey and reach Pitru Loka, the land of the ancestors, where they stay on, before taking on their next roles, which destiny has in store for them. When they reside in Pitru Loka, they will feel the pangs of hunger and thirst. Unable to eat or drink anything on their own in their body-less state, they will be in acute need of suitable offerings from earth, their earlier place of stay, for quenching their cravings. The responsibility of making such sacred offerings amidst the chanting of appropriate mantras in the form of holy rituals is laid on the descendants of the ancestors. Their ritualistic offerings made with faith and love, will reach and satisfy the ancestors completely, and the pleased forefathers will then shower their blessings on their living children and descendants.

Significance of Thai Amavasya

Thai Amavasya is the first Amavasya which falls in the sacred Uttarayan period and hence is held as all the more auspicious for performing various rituals dedicated to the ancestors. Non-performance of such austerities is believed to bring us ill luck and can become the cause for Pitru Dosha, ancestral curse. People therefore choose this particular occasion for performing ceremonies for propitiating the departed souls and getting their blessings.

Performance of rituals on Thai Amavasya

People remember their forefathers with gratitude on this day, offer them thithi and do rituals like Tarpanam, Tila Homam and Pinda Daanam. It is considered especially sacred if such Shrardh ceremonies are performed in holy places, pilgrim centres, sea shore and on the banks of sacred rivers or water bodies. Hence, people in large numbers flock to places like Haridwar, Prayag Triveni Sangam (Allahabad), Rameshwaram, Kanyakumari and other well-known river ghats, perform various rituals in memory of the departed souls and offer worship, seeking their blessings. They also do various kinds of charities.

Benefits of observing Thai Amavasya rituals

Propitiating ancestors on the sacred Thai Amavasya can bring various benefits to the faithful. They can get absolved of Pitru Dosh, relationship issues can get solved and they can be blessed with health, wealth, success, peace and happiness.

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