Begin by worshipping the Sun God.
There are simple practices you can follow on Somvati Amavasya to receive blessings from your ancestors.
The festival of Pitru Paksha is dedicated to honouring our ancestors and involves various practices to remove Pitru Dosh, which is essentially about alleviating any ancestral displeasure and bringing peace to their souls. Pitru Paksha begins with Bhadrapada Purnima. Before this, Somvati Amavasya, which falls on Bhadrapada Amavasya, will occur. On Somvati Amavasya, worshipping Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, along with performing rituals such as bathing and giving donations, can help fulfil your wishes. There are simple practices you can follow on Somvati Amavasya to receive blessings from your ancestors. For details on the auspicious time of Somvati Amavasya and effective measures to honour ancestors, let us hear it from Dr Mrityunjay Tiwari, Head of the Department of Astrology at Shri Kallaji Vedic University.
Somvati Amavasya 2024: Muhurat
Bhadrapada Krishna Amavasya Tithi starts: September 2, at 5:21 am
Bhadrapada Krishna Amavasya Tithi ends: September 3, at 7:24 am
Brahma Muhurta: 04:29 am to 05:15 am
Abhijeet Muhurta: 11:55 am to 12:46 pm
Shradh Timings: 11:30 am to 03:30 pm
On Somvati Amavasya, take a bath during Brahma Muhurta. Begin by worshipping the Sun God. Then pay homage to your ancestors by remembering them. After invoking their presence, offer them water, black sesame seeds, and white flowers. Providing these offerings helps appease their anger and invites their blessings. On Somvati Amavasya, you can perform the shradha rituals for your ancestors. Specifically, Tripindi Shradha is carried out to address Pitru Dosh and bring peace to the souls of your ancestors. This ritual helps make the ancestors happy and invites their blessings.
On the occasion of Somvati Amavasya, to please the ancestors, you can light a lamp in the south direction in the evening when it gets dark. That lamp can be made of mustard oil. On Somvati Amavasya, prepare food in the morning and offer a portion of it to your ancestors. This food is believed to reach them through animals such as cows, crows, and dogs. This practice, known as Panchbali Karma, helps in satisfying the ancestors. On the day of Amavasya, you can donate white clothes to please your ancestors. You can also donate grains, fruits to a poor Brahmin.
