Pitru Tarpanam is the Vedic ritual of offering water and sesame seeds to ancestors (pitrus) at sacred rivers. Performing Tarpanam during the Godavari Pushkaralu 2027 window (26 June to 7 July 2027) at the Gowthami or Pushkar Ghat in Rajahmundry is considered one of the most spiritually rewarding acts in Hinduism — it is said to liberate seven generations of ancestors and grant them moksha.
Who Should Perform Pitru Tarpanam?
The eldest son in the family traditionally performs Tarpanam, but in modern practice any male family member or even daughters (under guidance from a learned priest) can perform the ritual. It is mandatory for those whose parents or grandparents have passed away. Even those whose immediate family is alive can perform Tarpanam for distant ancestors.
Materials Required
- Black sesame seeds (til) — 200 grams
- Barley grains (yava) — 100 grams
- Darbha grass (dharbai) — for pavithram and asanam
- Cooked rice (sapindam) — for pinda preparation
- Cow ghee, honey, milk
- Tulsi leaves, banana leaf
- Camphor, agarbatti, deepa with cotton wicks
- White or saffron dhoti for men, white sari for women
Step-by-Step Tarpanam Procedure
- Snanam — Take the holy dip in the Godavari following the tridhanu snanam procedure
- Pavithram — Wear the darbha grass ring on the right hand ring finger
- Sankalpam — Sit facing south. Recite your name, gotra, and the names of three generations of ancestors
- Argyam — Take water mixed with sesame seeds in cupped hands and offer at the river while reciting “Om Pitrubhyo Namaha”
- Vishnu Tarpanam — Offer water to Lord Vishnu first
- Devata Tarpanam — Offer to all devatas
- Rishi Tarpanam — Offer to the seven sages
- Pitru Tarpanam — Offer to ancestors by name and gotra
- Pinda Pradanam (optional) — Offer cooked rice balls in the river
- Deepa daanam — Light a lamp facing south as the final offering
Recommended Priests and Cost
Priests for Pitru Tarpanam are available at the main Rajahmundry ghats, and the rite is performed at the designated ritual areas rather than on the open bank. For Pushkaralu 2027, no authority has yet published how many priests will be accredited, which ghats they will cover, or any dakshina rates, so treat any figure circulating now as unofficial and settle the dakshina with your priest before the ritual begins. The East Godavari district Pushkaralu page is the position of record.
For ghat selection see Gowthami Ghat. For complete ritual context see All Pushkaralu Rituals.
Monthly Amavasya Pitru Tarpana Calendar
While Godavari Pushkaralu 2027 is the highest-merit Pitru Tarpana window, devotees can also perform Pitru Tarpana monthly on Amavasya — the most spiritually significant day for ancestral worship in the Hindu lunar calendar. See the Deepavali Amavasya 2026 Pitru Tarpana guide for the November 2026 observance — the one Amavasya of the year on which Lakshmi Puja and Pitru Tarpana fall together.