10) HOW TO INVITE BRAHMINS TO SHRADHA CEREMONY

Invitation should be given to the all the brahmins one day in advance. If invited brahmins arrive to attend the shradha ceremony they should be treated with due respect. The brahmin who is supposed to perform the rituals should wash the feet of other brahmins to show his respect towards them. He should then help them perform ‘achaman’ (rinsing of mouth). Finally the invited brahmins should be fed after the rituals have been completed. As far as the number of invited brahmins to the shradha ceremony of the ancestors is concerned, the scriptures have strictly put it to odd numbers-one, three, five, etc. Similarly the number of invited brahmins for the shradha of the deities is concerned the number has been put to even number- two, four, etc. But if the person finds it difficult to invite the above number of brahmins then he can invite only one brahmin for both the types of shradha. While performing the shradha of maternal grandfather it is mandatory to perform the shradha of Vaishyadeva simultaneously. In the shradha ceremony related with the deities the brahmins should always have their food facing east. On the contrary, in the shradha ceremony of the ancestors the brahmins should have their food facing north.

 

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