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Samaradhana, Sumangali Prarthana
It is the practice to perform Samaradhana to the Kula Devata before Upanayanam, Vivaham, Seemanthonnayanam etc. It is a simple Pooja followed by bhojanam for at least two brahmanas.
Similarly Sumangali Prarthana is also performed on these occasions. Follow the procedure as per family tradition.
Shashtyabdapoorthi etc.
Shashtyabdapoorthi is celebrated on completion of 60 years on the day of one’s birth nakshatra in the month of birth. Though the prescribed Santhi is adequate, it is generally the practice to perform Rudra Ekadasini on the previous day or on the same day along with the Santhi. Rudra Ekadasini is an effective Prayaschitta for the sins committed by image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyer
the person. Bhimarathasanthi is celebrated on completion of 70 years on the day of one’s birth nakshatra in
the month of birth. Santhi as prescribed is done.Sathabhishekam is celebrated on Sahasrachandra Darsanam (completion of darshan of a thousand Pournamis), which occurs on completion of age of 80 years and 8 months. Here again, it is generally the practice to perform Rudra Ekadasini along with Santhi.
Sraadham
Sastras prescribe 96 sraadhas to be performed by a grihastha during a year. What we are now doing is bare minimum. These should never be missed or compromised. On these Pitru dinams do not shave; avoid food outside home. Maintain Aachara. On all these days, daily Deva Pooja should be performed only after tarpanam/ sraadham is completed; not before.
1. Amavasya: In lieu of sraadham, tarpanam is performed.
2. Tarpanam on the first day of every Solar (Tamil) month: Some people perform on the first day of every third month – Tamil New Year day, first of Aadi (Dakshinayana Punyakalam); first of Aippasi (Tula); Makara Sankranti (Uttarayana Punyakalam).
3. Sraadham on the tithi in the month (Tamil month) of death of parents: Some people do Hiranya or Aama sraadham. This is not permissible. You should perform Paarvana sraadham with Oupasanam and sraadha homam. This is required to make the Pitrus contented and happy. This is the only occasion when you perform Oupasanam, a ritual that should be performed 365*2 times in a year. Avoid taking any type of food or drink till sraadham is completed. Avoid taking the sraadha bhakshanam in the night. As the
brahmanas who eat during sraadham are not permitted to eat during night, you should also not eat. You can have fruits and milk if necessary.These days many persons perform Sraadham jointly along with their brothers; in fact people travel to outstation destinations for this purpose. Sastras are very clear that once division of property between brothers has taken place, they should perform Sraadham separately. In other words they can do Sraadham together only if they are really in a joint family under one roof. If they still wish to do together, they should perform with a different set of brahmanas and different Agni and different food preparation; food other than rice and payasam can remain common. During Sraadha Paksham, avoid outside food and other acts of Anachara.
4. Mahalaya Sraadham: If you can perform tarpanam every day during Mahalaya Paksham, it is very good. In any case on one day at least during this Paksham, you should perform a proper sraadham, may be Hiranya sraadham with 3 to 5 vaidikas, preferably including feeding them.
5. Grahana Tarpanam: During Surya and Chandra grahnams as per your Panchangam and as per visibility of grahanam in your area, perform tarpanam. This is a must; not an optional ritual. For Surya grahanam, do tarpanam in the first half of the grahana period; for Chandra grahanam, in the second half. Take bath before and after Grahanam. Give danam of rice and lentils along with dakshina to brahmana.
6. Gaya Sraadham: Everyone should try to perform the traditional Sraadham at Gaya, Kashi and Prayag to ancestors. Facilities and monetary resources being available nowadays, nobody should miss this great opportunity. Well laid out procedures are followed for Sraadham in these three places.
It is preferable that one follows the traditional mode of going first to Rameswaram, performing Tirtha Sraadham there, collecting soil from Agni Tirtham or Dhanushkoti in the sea there, proceeding to Kashi, Prayag and Gaya, performing Sraadha rituals there, making Siva Lingam out of the Rameswaram soil and dissolving it in Ganga after Puja at Prayag, collecting Ganga water and finally going to Rameswaram and performing abhishekam to Sri Ramanathaswamy with that Ganga water.
Remember that performing Gaya Sraadham does not relieve one of the responsibility of performing subsequent Pratyaabdika Sraadhas; they should be performed till the last moment of one’s life as Grihastha.