This is a 16 day period when most Hindoo remember their ancestors, and feed Braahman in their memory. In Indian Lunar month there are 14 regular days (Tithi), one New Moon day and one Full Moon day, so there are 16 days. When anybody dies, he is bound to die on one of these 16 days. So the children remember their ancestors on the same day on the day he or she died, for example if he or she died on 8th day of any fortnight, then the children will remember him or her on the 8th day of this fortnight.

Sons only (only sons are allowed to do that) do Tarpan, under the guidance of a Braahman, and feed him similar type of food which their ancestor used to like, and pay some money (Dakshinaa) to him. There is no limit of Dakshinaa. One can include even clothes or jewelry too.

During this period traditional people do not wear outside-washed clothes and certainly not the new clothes, and don't get a hair-cut. The day they do this Tarpan, they do not even shave on that day. Women do not wash their hair on that particular day. People in one family eat together on such days. Auspicious works like marriage, settling marriage, any kind of birth ceremony etc. are prohibited during this period.