SRAD'DHA., as commonly understood, are obse quies paid by Hindus to the manes of deceased ancestors, to effect, by means of oblations, the re embodying of the soul of the deceased after burn ing his corpse, and to raise his shade from this world (where it would else, according to the belief of the Hindus, continue to roam among demons and evil spirits) up to heaven, and then deify him, as it were, among the manes of departed ancestors. In the ceremony, food and water are offered to the deceased ancestors of the sacrificer, or to the Pitri or manes collectively. The Preta or Dasa-pinda Srad'dha is an offering of a ball of rice to a deceased person, by the next-of-kin, increased by one daily, for ten days. The Adya Srad'dha is the first obsequial ceremony after a person's decease. The obsequies performed monthly, on the day of the new moon, are called Anwaharya Srad'dha. The social or legal un cleanness of the Hindu is called Asauch, and occurs from the death of a relative or the like. The day preceding a Srad'dlia is held as a fast day, and called Ativasa. The Ekadasi Srad'dha is a presentation of offerings on the lith day after demise. The Masika, or Anwaharya, is performed monthly for a year on the day of deinise, and the Sapinda or Sapindi Karana on the first anniversary of a person's death. The Abhyu dayaka Srad'dlia
is an offering to deceased ancestors, or to the manes collectively, on some prosperous event, tho birth of a son or the like. The proper seasons for the worship of the manes collectively aro the dark fortnight or period of the ID0011'8 wane, the days called Aslitakas, or tile eighth Inflations of the dark fortnight of the four months of the cold weather, the summer and winter solstices, and vernal and autumnal equinoxes. The idea involved is a belief in the prolonged separate existence after death of the body of the spirit or ghost that it may hover about its former dwelling, and be gratified by offerings of food. It consists of three distinct rites,—(1) the daily Srati'dha in propitiation of the ghosts of remote ancestors (pitri); (2) the monthly Srad'dha, for immediate paternal ancestors ; (3) the funeral Srad'dha, for a near kinsman, within a certain period after death.—Colernan, p. 162 ; Moor, p. 75 ; Wilson's Glossary. See Hindu ; Shraddlia ; Spiri t-Worship. •