As Gaya pind daan goes online, tech vs tradition fight unfolds

As Gaya pind daan goes online, tech vs tradition fight unfolds

29.09.2024 TIMES OF INDIA 

Gayawal Pandas have for generations maintained records of the family antecedents of all their patrons. Now, as many choose online pind daan for their ancestors, the community fights to keep its hold over the path to moksha Manoj Chaurasia & Poulomi Banerjee | TNN

 When NRI Baljit Singh Kanda visited Gaya from Canada earlier this year to perform pind daan for his ancestors, his biggest worry was the missing details. All he knew was that his ancestors were from a village in Punjab’s Jalandhar. But who were they? What were their names? Kanda was referred to Heeranath Darhiwale, a priest or panda. Heeranath had all the details in handwritten ledgers locked in a steel almirah. After that it was a breeze. Kanda could perform the rituals he had come here for, and went back to Canada a happy man. Pind daan is a ritualistic offering made to liberate an ancestor’s soul from the eternal cycle of rebirth. And, according to Hindus, Gaya is the best place for that. This Bihar town is named after the mythological character Gayasura, an asura killed by Vishnu. It is believed Gayasur had received the boon that if people perform pind daan here, the souls of their ancestors will attain moksha. It is now, during the ongoing annual Pitrapaksha Mela — a 16-day period before Navratri dedicated to paying homage to the departed — that Gaya sees its biggest crowds. 

An estimated 20 lakh people offer pind daan here during this period. The Falgu river, the Vishnupad temple and the Akshay Vat tree are believed to be the most holy spots for the ritual, in a list of 54 such. The Gayawal Pandas, a community of Brahmins who believe they were born of Brahma’s image, claim exclusive right to conducting last rites and pind daan rituals in the city, and for generations have maintained records of the antecedents of their clients. Different families of Gayawal Pandas 9/29/24, 9:50 AM Times of India ePaper chennai - Read Today’s English News Paper Online https://epaper.indiatimes.com/timesepaper/publication-the-times-of-india,city-chennai.cms 1/6 are said to have traditionally served those from different regions of the country, with many claim ing to have records dating back 300 years. In recent years, however, the pandas are finding their exclusive hold challenged by technology. For years having scoffed at even digitising their records, fearing they will be hacked, they now have to contend with something which has come to be known as online or ‘e’ pind daan’. 

This involves a representative, usually a Brahmin appointed by a panda or religious body or service provider, performing the ritual in Gaya for a person keen to do pind daan here, but unable to travel. Bookings are received over the phone, WhatsApp, email or through a website, and the client either joins in on video call, or receives a video recording and photos of the procedure later. Custodian Of Records The family of Heeranath Darhiwale, who solved the problems of Kanda of Canada, has been conducting pind daan rituals of those from undivided Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh for generations. He claims to have handwritten records dating back 250 years. “Pilgrims get emotional seeing the address details and signatures of their ancestors in the ledgers,” says Darhiwale. The records are maintained under three categories — an alphabetical index of the village and region of patrons and visitors, their signatures with address details and details of profession and workplace.These are neatly bound in red cloth and stored in steel almirahs, to be passed down generations of pandas. 

According to Mahesh Guput, a senior member of the community who attends to pilgrims coming from Delhi, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh, the pandas have to be on constant alert to ensure that the record books are not destroyed by white ants, moisture or other weather conditions. “We occasionally dry the records in the sun, spread neem leaves or use other antibacterial drugs to preserve them,” says Guput, 72. Shambhu Lal Bitthal, the chairman of the Vishnupad Temple Management Committee, points to a 142-year-old record of an Assam resident. He also shows the laminated authority letters purportedly given by the then Queen of Baroda and Gaekwad Estate to maintain the records of their families. “They (handwritten records) are our lifeline, and also the source of joy for pilgrims,” says Bitthal, who attends to those from Gujarat and the North-East. @Ease Of Moksha 

In a town that prides itself on history, the concept of online pind daan has proved to be something of a thorn in the flesh for many. “If I show you the photo or video of a glass of water, will it quench your thirst?” asks Gajadhar Lal Pathak, secretary, Sri Vishnupad Management Committee, Gaya. The point he wants to make is that those who want their ancestors to attain moksha need to make the journey to Gaya to perform pind daan. There can be no short cut to moksha. Traditionally, clients reach out to their panda before arriving in Gaya and the panda not only performs the pind daan but also takes care of everything else, from their stay to food to buying the puja materials. But not only are some choosing to go the online way for pind daan now, but turning to apps and portals to make the arrangements for them even if they do want to visit the town to perform the ritual in person. Pitradev.com, founded by Varanasi-based Shashank Mishra 10 years back is one such, which claims to act as a bridge between pandas and those seeking to perform ritualistic ceremonies in the holy towns of Prayagraj, Varanasi, Haridwar, Gaya and Nashik. Services offered include pind daan, ashthi visarjan (the immersion of ashes after cremation of the deceased) and shraadh (lastrite rituals) — both for those seeking to perform the rites in person, as well as online services for those who can’t travel. For online pind daan, the Pitradev. com website mentions:

 “In Gaya pind daan online is not recommended because Gaya is final destination for pind daan… it is always recommended to go physically to Gaya.” Still, Mishra admits to getting requests and has helped a few clients perform online pind daan in the Bihar city. ‘We Were The First’ On its portal pinddaangaya.bihar.gov. in, one of the packages the Bihar govt offers for the 2024 Pitrapaksha Mela is online pind daan. “We were the first to offer the service in 2016-17,” claims a source in the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC). Priced at Rs 21,500 plus taxes, the package for 2024 includes the dues of the panda and pandit, the cost of commodities required for pind daan at the three spots of Vishnupad Temple, Akshay Vat and Falgu river and the cost of video recording the procedure and pen drive. “Those interested contact us with family details. We then reach out to a panda who appoints a Brahmin as representative for the family doing the pind daan, and performs the rituals,” says the source, adding that five days into the 2024 Pitrapaksha Mela, the BSTDC had already received  about seven-eight requests for online pind daan. The service is also provided by the Gaya centre of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). “The families join in on Zoom call, while a representative (Brahmin) here performs the rituals on their behalf,” says Jagdish Shyam Das, president, ISKON Gaya, adding: “There is no fixed charge, patrons pay what he can for the service.” There are also apps that live stream pujas — such as pind daan in Gaya. Those interested can make a booking, send in their family details and participate online.