Parvana

A particular type of the memorial rites
for the dead known as shraddhas. A parvana shraddha can be performed at specific times throughout the year, such as
the new moon, but is most commonly
performed during the Fortnight of the
Fathers (Pitrpaksha), which falls during
the waning moon in the lunar month of
Bhadrapada. Whereas an ekoddishta
shraddha is performed for any particular deceased individual, the parvana
shraddha invokes first the paternal
father, grandfather, and great-grandfather,
then the same ancestors on the mother’s
side. The rite is performed to give benefits to all of these ancestors, although
the father’s ancestors are considered the
primary recipients.