About Pt. Ankit Ji
A pandit of Gaya Ji trained in the rites of Pind Daan, Tarpan and Shraddh — as comfortable guiding a family from Kolkata as one arriving from London.
Raised in ritual, trained for the responsibility
Pt. Ankit Ji grew up around Gaya Ji's ghats, where Pind Daan has been performed by generations of priestly families for as long as anyone can remember. His training followed the traditional path — years spent learning the Sanskrit verses, the exact sequence each rite demands, and the discipline of never letting the ceremony feel routine, however many times it is performed.
"A ritual done correctly but explained badly leaves a family more anxious than when they arrived. My teachers were strict about the first part. I've tried to be just as careful about the second."
Over more than ten years, that approach has shaped how he works: taking the time before each ceremony to walk a family through what will happen and why, in whichever language makes that clearest for them — Hindi, English or Bengali.
Families from further afield
In recent years, a growing number of NRI families and second-generation visitors have travelled to Gaya Ji to fulfil a parent's or grandparent's wish — often with only a partial understanding of what Pind Daan involves. Pt. Ankit Ji has made a point of being genuinely useful to this group: explaining the "why" behind each mantra and offering, not just the "what," and being reachable on WhatsApp well before a family's flight lands.
It hasn't changed the ritual itself — the sequence, the Sanskrit, the timing all remain exactly as tradition holds them. What's changed is how much a visiting family understands of what's happening in front of them, and why it matters.
Credentials & practice
- Trained in Vedic ritual tradition under senior priests of Gaya Ji
- 10+ years performing Pind Daan, Tarpan and Shraddh at Vishnupad Temple and the Falgu ghats
- Fluent in Hindi, English, Bengali and Sanskrit ritual recitation
- Regularly guides NRI and overseas families through the full process remotely before arrival
- Available on call and WhatsApp for planning, once a visit date is being considered
Ready to plan your family's visit?
A short call is usually all it takes to understand what your family needs and set the right dates.