Devout Hindus gathered on the banks of the River Falgu in Bihar's Gaya District to perform 'Pitru Paksha', or worship of their ancestors and prayed for the salvation of their souls.
The devotees offered prayers and performed religious rituals on Thursday.
Prashant Pandey, a priest, said: "A demon named Gayasura often roams in the area and it attracts evil spirits. Ancestors find salvation after being purified of their sins by way of rituals performed by family members."
Pitr-paksha generally falls in the month of September or October every year.
According to traditional belief, the eldest son of a family performs the Pind Daan and pays homage to their ancestors (Pitrs).
The devotees also get their heads tonsured as a part of the ritual for the departed souls. The food is usually cooked in silver or copper vessels and placed on banana leaves.
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A devotee from Haryana, Kailash Chandra Gupta, said they prayed for their forefathers who had died.
Locals queued up before priests who had erected makeshift altars on the riverbanks to perform the rituals and offer prayers.
Devotees believe that once the ritual is performed, the souls of their ancestors shall be relieved of all the sins and they would be freed from the cycle of birth and death.
According to Hindu mythology, it is believed that when humans die, their mortal body turns to dust.
However, the soul remains, until it does not find another mortal body to reside. The cycle of rebirth can cease and the soul can receive salvation, if these sacred rituals are performed.
