Saradhs also called sharadhs are forbidden in Sikh religion whereas in  Hindu religion saradhs are held in memory of the deceased ancestors every year in the month of Asu, the seventh desi month which corresponds to the month of September. In this month, during the first half of the lunar month i.e. the darkness pakh which starts with the full moon day and ends on the no moon day. Saradhs are held in memory of the deceased pitters (ancestors).  During these fifteen days i.e. the darkness pakh the Hindus hold saradhs wherein they serve sumptuous mid-day meal to a purohit (pandit) with the  belief that this food will reach their deceased ancestors i.e. their deceased parents and grand parents. Their belief is that their deceased ancestors reside  in pittar puri i.e. the place of residence of the deceased ancestors. Pittar means ancestors and puri means place of residence. They believe that during these  fifteen days their deceased parents and grand parents come to the world and  partake off the food served by their children and grand children. Along with sumptuous food sometimes the purohit is given clothes and money. 

The saradh for the deceased person is held on the same tith (day of the  lunar month) on which he/she died. The Hindus believe that they appease their pitters through the saradh held in their memory. In Attrey Sanhita, one of  the holy books of Hindus it is stated that 'during these fifteen days the pittar  puri becomes vacant, the pittars rush to the world to eat the food served in the  saradh held in their memory. If they are not fed they curse their children and grandchildren and go back to the pitter puri. Even if a person has committed sins as huge as the Sumer parbat (a very high mountain), when he/she holds  saradhs for their pitters they are nullified. Through saradhs only a person can go to heaven. As a rule, the Hindus hold saradhs during the Asu month, the saradhs held in any other month on the same tith on which a person had died  is called khayahi saradh. The tradition of holding saradhs among the Hindus has been in existance since times immemorial. Manu and Vishnu Smriti have included instructions about the holding of saradhs. 

According to Manu and Vishnu Smriti if in saradh sesame, rice, barley,  black beans and vegetables are served the pittars remain satiated for 1 month,  with fish meat they remain satiated for 2 months, with antelope meat they  remain satiated for 3 months, with sheep meat for 4 month, with birds' meat  for 5 months, with goat meat for 6 months, with tiger meat for 7 months, with gazzelle meat for 8 months, with red deer meat for 9 months, with buffalow  and pig meat for 10 months, with tortoise and hare meat the ancestors remain  satiated for 11 months. 

In Varidh Hareet Sanhita, another holy book of the Hindus it is stated  that if the pandit who eats the food in the saradh is not vegetarian, the  ancestors of the person holding the saradh, will have to eat faeces and drink  urine. 

In Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of the Sikhs, the Sikhs are  forbidden to hold saradhs. In this holy book, again and again it is made clear  that after the death the soul of the saintly persons merges into the God, i.e. the  person is emancipated. In other words the soul becomes mukat i.e. it is  released from the circle of re-births. In the case of all other persons after death  the soul immediately enters the circle of 8.4 million species. The number of  species through which the prson passes before being re-born as a human  being depends on the type of deeds he has done during this life. Those who  have done more good deeds have to pass through lesser number of species and  those who have committe sins have to pass through a larger number of  species. In either case, i.e. (i) when the soul is emancipated or (ii) when the  soul passes through 8.4 million species, the soul does not reside in any pitter  puri. Thus, if the soul either merges into the God Almightly or enters into  another body immediately after death where in the possibility of its residing in  the pittar puri. 

Bhagat Kabir Ji (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, page 332) has stated: Jīvaṯ piṯar na mānai ko▫ū mū▫eʼn sirāḏẖ karāhī. 

Piṯar bẖī bapure kaho ki▫o pāvahi ka▫ū▫ā kūkar kẖāhī. 

This means that the person does not honor his ancestors while they are  alive, but he holds saradhs in their honor after they have died. He adds tell  me, how can his poor ancestors receive what the crows and the dogs have  eaten up? 

Bhagat Kabir Ji has clarified that people do not take proper care of their  parents and grand parents when they are alive, but when they are dead  saradhs are held in their memory with the belief that the food served to the  purohit will reach them. As part of saradh they also feed the dogs and crows. In  this way Bhagat Kabir Ji has tried to impress upon the people that serving food to the purohit or the dogs and crows with the belief that it will reach their  deceased ancestors is useless and that they should properly treat their parents  and grand parents when they are alive. 

Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first prophet-teacher of the Sikhs, during his  preaching tours gave practical reasons as to why saradhs should not be held.  He clarified as to why no food should be served to the purohits with the belief  that it will reach one's ancestors. At Haridwar, Utter Pradesh the city situated  on the shore of the Ganges river, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji saw that the pandits  were splashing water towards the sun i.e. the east with the belief that this  water will reach their gods and pittars. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji started  splashing water towards the west. The pandits told him that he should splash  water towards the east because the water splashed towards the west will  neither reach the gods nor the pitters. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji told them that  he was splashing water towards the west to irrigate his fields in Kartarpur  which is on the right bank of the river Ravi (which is now in Pakistan). The  pandits asked him as to how this water can reach his crops which are at a  distance of hundreds of kilometers away. He told the Pandits that if his water  cannot reach a place which is at a distance of about 500 kms, how can their  water reach their pittars or the sun which is more than a million kilometres  away.  

When Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji visited Gaya, Bihar he saw that the pandits  were misleading the folk. The pandits asked him to redeem his ancestors. He  said that he has redeemed himself, his ancestors, his followers and their  ancestors and that he has done such actions, through which he has dispelled the darkness of ignorance.  

In Sri Guru Granth Sahib it is clearly stated that in his/her next life the  human being gets what he has given as alms out of his own income in this life.  He will not get anything given by another person as alms in his/her name. Thus, it is clear that saradhs are forbidden in Sikh religion. 

During saradhs Hindus do not buy any cloths, jewellery or property and  also do not start any new ventures. Currently, only vegetarian food is served in  the saradhs. 

.  This year i.e. in 2020 timimg of saradhs is from September 3 to September 17 .

Dr. Amrit Kaur, Retd. Professor, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, India.

Email. Amritkaurchd40@gmail.com