´SRÁDDHA,
or
Ceremonies in honour of deceased ancestors.

The charity is given in the name of deceased ancestors and is of vari­ous kinds, but four are specially observed: (1). On the day of decease and its anniversary. (2). On the first day of the first quarter of the new moon. (3). On the sixteenth lunar day of the month of Kuár, (Sept. Oct.). (4). Bestowing charity in a place of worship in the name of the deceased.

The manner of performing it is to bestow money and gifts in kind, dressed and undressed, on Bráhmans in the name of father, grandfather and great grandfather including their wives, and in the same way on the three directly ascending male ancestors of the mother and their wives. All four castes may perform this ceremony.

When these four duties of worship, sacrifice, alms-giving and com­memoration of the deceased, as now described, are performed, the wor­ship of God is accounted to be perfectly carried out, and without them it is not effected.