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Karkidaka Vavu Bali — the Pitru Tarpana of Kerala, performed on Karkidakam Amavasya at riverbanks and seashores. Equivalent to Sarvapitru Amavasya / Pitru Paksha Shraddha for Kerala families. Famous Bali ghats: Thiruvallam, Aluva, Varkala, Thirunelli, Papanasam.
Dates 2026–2027
Mantra
ॐ पितृभ्यो नमः। स्वधा-नमस्तृप्यन्तां पितरः।
Om Pitribhyo namah · Swadha-namastripyantam pitarah
Salutations to the ancestors — may they be satisfied by this offering of swadha.
How to recite
Before sunrise, proceed to a riverbank, seashore or sacred tank (Thiruvallam, Aluva, Varkala, Thirunelli, Papanasam are the most famous Bali ghats in Kerala). Wearing wet veshti, hold Darbha grass (Durva) rings on fingers, mix sesame seeds + black gingelly + rice + water on banana leaf, and offer Bali Tharpanam to the ancestors invoking each named pitru and the broader lineage. Brahmins (Nambudiri) chant the Pitru Sukta. Return home, bathe, and eat only one Vavorikkal meal. No non-veg in any household member's plate that day.
Benefits
Karkidaka Vavu Bali is Kerala's most important Shraddha day — the Pitru Tarpana of the year. It is said to release the unfulfilled samskaras of ancestors going back seven generations and bring their blessings on the lineage. Thiruvallam Parashurama Temple alone hosts over a lakh of devotees on this day.
✦ Special Note
Per Malayalam Panchangam — Karkidakam Amavasya. 2026: Aug 12 · 2027: Aug 2 (approx). Required materials: Darbha grass (Durva) rings, sesame seeds, black gingelly, rice, banana leaves, water. Non-veg forbidden for the entire family on this day.
Foods Allowed
Foods to Avoid
Meal Idea
Rice with parippu (dal) and pappadam, tender coconut water, one piece of jaggery — kept simple and sattvic.
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Get a reminder before the next Karkidaka Vavu Bali
At 7pm the evening before, each time it comes around. Turn it off anytime.
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