Tarpan

Tarpan is one of the simpler ancestral rites to perform, requiring little more than water, sesame seeds, and the correct names and direction — yet it carries the same devotional weight as more elaborate rituals. Understanding how it's done helps pilgrims join or arrange one at the right site.

What is Tarpan?

Tarpan is a ritual offering of water — often mixed with black sesame seeds — made to ancestors or deities. The devotee pours the water while facing a specific direction and reciting the names of those being honoured.

Part of Shraddha

It's a core part of Pitru Tarpan and Shraddha rites, and is commonly performed at riverbanks and ghats considered especially significant for ancestral worship, such as Naimisharanya's Chakra Tirth.

Where Tarpan is performed

Tarpan is traditionally performed at a riverbank, ghat, or sangam considered significant for ancestral worship — sites like Naimisharanya's Chakra Tirth, Prayagraj's Triveni Sangam, and the ghats of Gaya are among the most visited for this purpose. A pandit is usually present to guide the correct sequence of names and mantras.