Karkidaka Vavu Bali

"The Vavu Bali is a Hindu ritual performed to appease ancestors. This ritual takes place during the Malayalam month of Karkkidakam, which falls in July or August. People perform special rituals at homes and on the premises of temples as part of the Vavu Bali ceremony. In certain parts of Kerala, Vavu Bali is held as a mass event, with the most notable ceremonies taking place on the banks of the Periyar near the Shiva temple in Aluva and on the Papanasam beach in Varkala. Hindu customs and rituals give much importance to the rituals that are to be performed after death, commonly denoted as "shesha kriya" in Malayalam (with "shesham" meaning "after" and "kriya" denoting "rituals"). According to Hindu custom, when a family member dies, the younger ones in the family have to perform Bali (also called Pithru Tharpanam) to liberate the soul from the shackles of worldly life and help the soul achieve eternal peace. The Bali carried out on Karkidaka Vavu (Karkidakavavu) day is of great importance. While the regular custom is to perform the ritual on the basis of calculations of the star of the day the family member died, Karkidaka Vavu Bali is performed regardless of these calculations. The rites are conducted in accordance with Hindu customs and performed on beaches and waterways. Hindus in Kerala never fail to perform this ritual on the day of Karkidaka Vavu.