Bhubaneswar, Oct. 10 -- Thousands of devotees from Odisha and other states gathered in Puri on Mahalaya Amavasya to pay homage to their ancestors. Sacred ponds across the pilgrim town and the area near the north gate of the Shree Jagannath Temple witnessed large gatherings of devotees observing the occasion.

Mahalaya Amavasya falls on the new moon day of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Ashwin. The day holds special religious significance for Hindus who remember their departed family members through ancestral rites.

According to Hindu tradition and belief, offering Pinda Daan on Mahalaya Amavasya brings blessings from ancestors in the afterlife. Following this belief, devotees performed Pinda Daan and offered Shraddha at various...