Kathmandu, September 2

Sorha Shraddha, a 16-lunar day period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors, started today even as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Nepal.

Hindu priests are having a hard time providing home services to their clients due to prohibitory orders imposed by local administrations to subdue the spread of the contagion in many districts. Those who cannot make arrangements to perform rituals at home, visit temple premises to find priests to pay homage to their ancestors. Despite the government appeal to avoid religious activities in public places, some people were seen performing Sraddha rituals on the banks of the Bagmati River, where Pashupatinath Temple is situated.

Government authorities have urged people to perform virtual Sraddha.

Sorha Shraddha falls in the lunar month of Bhadra (September–October), beginning with the full moon day and ending with the new moon day. By following the Hindu mythology, departed souls across three generations of ancestors — parents, grand-parents and greatgrand parents along with the deceased members of the same family line, both patriarchal and matriarchal — are offered Shraddha rites and tarpan.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 3, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.