Gaya Pind Daan
Pind daan performed at Gaya by a certified purohit, on your gotra and tithi. Every package priced in full on this page, with nothing asked of your family at the ghat.
✨ Inclusions
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At a glance
- •Performed at Gaya, where the rite is held to reach the ancestors directly
- •Offered on your family gotra and the tithi you choose
- •All samagri arranged by us — nothing to carry or buy on the day
- •Pinds offered at Vishnupad, Akshayavat and the Phalgu river
- •Pitru Paksha, 25 September to 10 October 2026, is the principal season
What we commit to
- ✓The price on this page is the whole price. Nothing further is asked of your family at the ghat.
- ✓A purohit trained in a Vedic pathshala, named to you before you pay
- ✓The sankalpa is taken on your gotra and your ancestors' names, read back to you first
- ✓Your sampradaya is followed — Smartha, Madhva, Sri Vaishnava or Iyengar
- ✓Photographs and video of the ceremony, if your family cannot travel
About the Ritual
Gaya's standing as the place for this rite comes from the story of Gayasura, the asura whose devotion was so complete that Vishnu granted his body itself the power to purify whoever performed rites upon it. The town that grew there takes his name. The rite follows a fixed sequence, and knowing it in advance makes a bewildering day far easier. 1. SANKALPA AND VISHWADEV STHAPANA PUJAN The purohit establishes the rite and states aloud your family gotra and the names of the ancestors it is offered for. Nothing proceeds until these are right, which is why we collect them carefully at booking and read them back to you. 2. PINDA PRADAN Rice flour is bound with ghee, honey, sugar, milk and curd, formed into pinds, and offered to the named ancestors. 3. TARPAN Water mixed with black sesame is offered. This is the part most families recognise, and it is included from the Standard package upward. 4. VISARJAN The pinds are immersed at Vishnupad, the Akshayavat, and the Phalgu — the river that famously runs beneath its own bed rather than across it. 5. BRAHMAN BHOJAN A meal is offered to the officiating brahmins, closing the observance. Included from the Premium package upward. The whole rite takes between forty-five minutes and three hours depending on the package you choose.
If you need to cancel
Written out in full here rather than linked away, because these terms are part of what you are agreeing to and you should be able to read them before you decide.
| More than 7 days before the ritual date | Full refund, less the payment gateway fee |
| 3 to 7 days before the ritual date | 50% refund |
| Less than 72 hours before the ritual | No refund |
| Ritual date falls in Pitru Paksha, cancelled within 7 days | The advance is not refunded — that fortnight is fully booked and the slot cannot be reassigned |
| If eSankalpam cancels, for any reason | 100% refund |
| If the purohit judges this is not the right rite for your situation | 100% refund, whenever that is found |
- •Before cancelling we will always offer to move your booking to another available date — most changes can be handled that way.
- •Bookings need at least 3 days between payment and the ritual date, so the samagri and the purohit can be arranged properly.
- •The balance is due after the ritual has been performed. The advance confirms the date.
- •Your travel to Gaya, your accommodation, and any donation you choose to make separately are not part of the package price and are not refundable by us.
Questions families ask
Will we be asked for more money once we reach the ghat?
Not by us, and not by the purohit we send you to. Gaya has a genuine reputation for this, which is exactly why we publish the entire price in advance instead of a range. Samagri, purohit and dakshina are all inside the package. If anyone asks your family for more on the day, tell us and we will deal with it.
Do we have to travel to Gaya ourselves?
No. The rite can be performed on your family's behalf. We take your gotra, the ancestors' names and the sankalpa details, and send you photographs and video of the ceremony afterwards. This is how most families living abroad arrange it.
How long does the ceremony take?
Between forty-five minutes and three hours, depending on the package. The Basic package covers the sthapana and the pinda pradan; the higher packages add tarpan, visarjan and brahman bhojan, and are performed without time pressure.
What do you need from us to book?
Your family gotra, the names of the ancestors the offering is for and their relationship to you, the tithi or date you would like, and the name of the person making the offering.
Can the rite follow our own tradition?
Yes. Tell us at booking whether your family is Smartha, Madhva, Sri Vaishnava or Iyengar and the paddhati is observed accordingly. This is worth asking of any provider — most will not raise it themselves.
How far in advance should we book?
For Pitru Paksha, as early as possible — it is the busiest fortnight of the year at Gaya. Outside that season there is normally more flexibility, but the tithi still has to suit, so give us your dates and we will confirm before taking payment.