Archive · 4 Oct 2026
Why Devotees Perform Pind Daan at Punpun Before Gaya
Pitru Paksha is a time when many Hindu families remember and honour relatives who have died.
In 2026, it begins on September 26 and lasts about 16 lunar days.
Families offer food, water, and prayers as part of Shraddha rituals.
Many devotees begin their pind daan journey at the Punpun River in Bihar.
They make rice-based offerings there and pray for their ancestors.
Then they continue to Gaya, an important place for these rituals.
Gaya is known for the Vishnupad Temple and the Falgu River.
Hindu belief holds that performing rites there can bring peace or moksha to departed souls.
Pitru Paksha in 2026 begins on September 26 and lasts around 16 lunar days.
Families observe the period by performing Shraddha rituals and offering food, water, and prayers to ancestors.
Many devotees traditionally perform their first pind daan at the Punpun River before continuing to Gaya.
At Punpun, pind offerings—described as rice-based—are made with water and prayers for departed family members.
Gaya’s Vishnupad Temple and Falgu River are important sites where rites are believed to bring peace or moksha to departed souls.
- Who
- Hindu families and devotees performing ancestral rites.
- What
- Many devotees traditionally begin pind daan at the Punpun River before continuing to Gaya.
- When
- During Pitru Paksha; in 2026, it begins September 26 and lasts around 16 lunar days.
- Where
- The Punpun River and Gaya in Bihar, India.
- Why
- The Punpun ritual is regarded as the beginning of the ancestral pilgrimage, while rites at Gaya are believed to bring peace or moksha to departed souls.
Traditional practice
Variation in customs
Whether to begin at Punpun
Traditional practice
Many devotees traditionally perform their first pind daan at Punpun before going to Gaya.
Variation in customs
Customs may vary among families and communities; the article does not present the route as universal.
- Pitru Paksha 2026
- Begins September 26 and is observed for around 16 lunar days.
- Ritual
- Pind daan involves rice-based offerings, water, and prayers for departed family members.
- Traditional route
- Many devotees perform the first pind daan at Punpun before proceeding to Gaya.
- Punpun River
- A rainfed tributary of the Ganges, described as 200 to 235 kilometres long.
- River route
- The Punpun rises in the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand’s Palamu district and flows through Jharkhand and Bihar.
- Gaya pilgrimage sites
- The Vishnupad Temple and Falgu River are identified as important places for pind daan.
- Religious belief
- Rites at Gaya are believed to provide moksha or peace to departed souls.