Uttar Pradesh: Priests object to online pind daan

Lucknow: Hindu priests in Allahabad and Varanasi have demanded a ban on virtual ‘pind daan’, a post death ritual that is performed to ensure salvation for departed souls. The ‘pind daan’ is performed mainly during the ‘Pitra Paksh’, a 16-day lunar period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors through this ritual.

Talking to DC, Pandit Kishore Upadhyaya of Varanasi said that the growing trend of offering online ‘pind daan’ was ‘unethical’ and should be banned. “The ritual requires the person to be physically present and make offerings to the departed souls. It is an elaborate ritual and cannot be performed in absentia”, he said.

According to him, a large number of websites have come up which offer ‘online tarpan’ for a price. These websites are doing huge business but the people are being duped.

“We understand that working people are short on time and cannot travel to religious places like Gaya, Allahabad, Varanasi or Haridwar to perform the ritual but they can opt for the ritual in their own cities. In fact, some religious organizations even arrange for collective ‘pind daan’ for those who cannot afford to travel”, he said. Pandit Shiv Misra of Varanasi said that the idea of online ‘pind daan’ was ‘ridiculous’ and asked for a total ban on the practice immediately.