Bali Tharpanam – Uru Punyakaavu

Uru Punya kaavu

Hindus believe in afterlife and rebirth, it is believed that our karmas in this life define our rebirth. The Karmas good and bad are both addressed in your afterlife, the sum total of a soul’s moral actions through its life decide its passage into afterlife, the smooth crossing of your soul through the river Vaitirini to the Pitru loka is decided based on your Karma. The movement into higher realms are decided after your meeting with Yama the God of death. It is believed that apart from your Karmas the prayers and offerings of your relatives during their lifetime aid the passage of the soul to higher realms.

The Soul or Atma is considered imperishable therefore it becomes the dharma of the descendants of the departed souls to remember them on a daily basis and on specific days poojas are conducted for them like on New moon day – Amavasya, Eclipse Days – Grihanam, Uttarayana – Dakshinayana, on their specific day of their passing –Thithi or while visiting any Theertha Sthalas. There are specific temples for Bali Tharpanam, one such temple is Uru Punya Kaavu. It is believed to be one of 108 temples built by Parasurama for the Brahmanas he relocated to the land reclaimed from the sea(Kerala).

Goddess Jaladurga is the main deity and Ayyappa and Ganapathi are other deities worshipped here. Similar to Tiruneli, this temple is also one of the places for Bali Tharpanam.

Hindus have high regard for their ancestors, the Pitras. It is believed that we are obligated to our ancestors to continue their legacy by imparting it to our children, this is our debt to the ancestors Pitra-rin. By begetting children we are enabling the Pitras to be reborn. The immortal soul is enclosed in three shells, the first is the flesh or the body that we can touch and feel, the second is the energy that the body encloses and the third is the Soul or the Atma that which is the true self or the spirit. The atma accumulates the karmic debts and assets acquired through many lives. The soul or atma is obligated to return to earth until it is free of the debts attained from Karma in past lives. Moksha is attained only then. Belief in rebirth puts the responsibility of our Karma squarely on our shoulders, our previous Karma has got us where we are today. We may not remember our past Karmas from past lives but are nevertheless responsible for it. The Bali actually means sacrifice, or daanam. The Daanam done in the name of the ancestors people in the form of food, clothes, money, land is the punya karmam. The poojas conducted are a token to the Gods to accept the daana karmam in the name of the relative concerned, and consider it for their progression into higher realms.

Fear of the unknown is perhaps the reason for religion and rituals. Fear of Death, fear of afterlife, fear of loosing your loved ones, fear of being unsuccessful, fear of performance. The endless fears of the Human mind are addressed in religion. Sense of protection is imparted by believing in the higher power and acknowledging it. Many of the Hindu rituals and poojas address our fears. Different religions address these fears differently some explain heaven and hell, Jannat and Jahannum, The Karmic cycle of life and death and the ultimate Moksha or Nirvana. Eventually the learning should be that as YOU this is the only life you have, you live in a fraction of time, time is eternal with no beginning and no end. Life goes on with or without you, so in the little time you have Live to have no regrets, Forgive, do not forget for learning come from mistakes. Life is What you make of it!