Significance of Pind Daan
Haridwar as a place is known for its importance in conducting puja towards all deities and towards our deceased ancestors. The puja’s including Pind Daan and yearly shraddha ritual can be performed here and hold high religious importance, Hindus believe that when humans die their mortal body gets turned to dust. The cycle of rebirth can cease and the soul can receive salvation if these sacred rituals are performed by the family members of the deceased.
The Hindu way of life gives us true significance of religious fervors performed during one’s lifetime; Pind Daan is a mandatory ritual which is to be performed post death. Pind Daan pooja gives an ultimate relief to the departed soul and paves way into the world of peace. After death the soul remains in this world due to materialistic attachments, the desire for these holds the soul back and does not let it release giving it tremendous pain. As per the Hindu way of life, it is believed that the Banks of river Ganga are blessed with purification powers that bring salvation to the departed soul; one can take the passage from Pretlok to Pitralok by performing pujas and giving daan in the form of pinds at the Banks of river Ganga.
Pretlok: It is the spirit world with extreme sufferings where worldly human beings go after death. It is described in the Puranas as a world in between the material world and the final destination marked for the soul to rest. Not moving out of Pretlok increases the suffering of the deceased and brings disturbance in the lives of his/her family.
In order to move from Pretlok to Pitralok, Pind Daan (SAPINDI KARANA) is religiously performed by the family of the deceased, helping the departed soul to enter Pitralok.
Pitralok: It is the world of ancestors where the human soul rests after attaining peace and completing all earthly sojourns.