Question :Why shouldn’t photographs of ancestors be kept in the house? – Reena Dixit, Guwahati

 Answer :Any photograph, that is, any specific form, is always accompanied by specific word, touch, taste, smell and energy. Thus if an ancestor has not got momentum in the afterlife(Gati), then the photograph begins to emit black energy in the house and very soon the vibrations of the house get disturbed and several types of problems start occuring. Thus, we should not put up photographs of ancestors,but pictures of saints who have attained Samadhi, can be displayed. Only saints can tell us which ancestors have got Gati( momentum atfer death) and which ancestors have not. Therefore, instead of being carried away by emotion, do what is right as per Dharma. Many a time, if an ancestor has got Gati and is in Pitru Lok (place for ancestors in the ether region) or in any other Lok (sublte world) and if we keep looking at their pictures and remembering them daily, they have to come down from the subtle world to this earth. At times, this journey becomes very difficult for some ancestors and by doing so, we create hurdles in their onward journey. Due to this, sometimes, they also curse us. Thus, the real tribute to those who have passed away is by following the virtuous path of conduct shown by them and doing appropriate Sadhana (spiritual practice).

Question 2 : I heard in an audio clip in your channel in You tube (Vedic Upasana) that photographs of ancestors should not be kept before the sight or in place of worship. I have kept the photographs of my departed parents in my drawing room.If the photographs are to be removed from the drawing room, where should they be kept and what to do with those photographs?   – Anurag Singh, Kanpur

The best solution for the photographs would be to immerse them in clean flowing water and retain a scanned copy of the photographs in case, in future,you want to see them or show them to the next generation.If you are mentally unprepared to do that then wrap the photographs in a white cloth along with a photograph of Lord Shiva in between and keep the photographs in a cupboard. On the day of Shraddha (annual ritual for departed souls), you can take them out of the cupboard,  garland them, and after the ritual, wrap them once again and keep them back in the cupboard.