Pinda
Pinda is a term used in Hindu ritual contexts to refer to a small lump or ball that is offered to ancestors during memorial rites. The word itself comes from Sanskrit and means a lump or pellet. In ritual usage, a pinda signifies the body or essence of the deceased and is part of the offerings made to sustain the soul in the afterlife.
In traditional practice, pindas are prepared as small balls, usually from ground rice flour, and may be
The practice is described in various Hindu texts and is observed across many communities in the Indian
Variations of the ritual exist among regional traditions, including differences in timing, naming (pinda dana or