The team puts it all together….

Photos and flowers all lined up …

Favourite sweets, jewels, nuts, crunchie, alcohol (shh), clothing, fruits,

Biscuits for Lucie (the shop insisted sugarless is best, let’s not get into the detail that it’s for her spirit), Momo for Ina (her favourite, she has great Tibetan links)

All make their appearance …

But where’s lunch?

Next

Sowbaghya has cooked it, Satish, serves it out. It’ll not be for the crows (sometimes food is placed on the roof or beside the river for the crows to eat ) as they represent the soul of the ‘departed’.

Time for the idler to get dressed in his wedding outfit.

We help their spirits on their journey to whatever’s next.

We then leave the house for their spirits to visit, eat and drink, making lots of noise, as we return, so they know to leave and not get caught out.

I’ve told MAnjula we’re moving to a new house. She’ll be with us.

Factoid

It’s now over six years that Manjula continued her spiritual journey. Each year on her birthday and death anniversary we do puja to help her on her way.

From this year we’ve decided to honour all our departed family members on Pitra Paksha, when everyone does the same.