Should we garland the photos of our departed and light a lamp before them daily?

a garland is a sign of respect and is common; daily worship is optional — a lamp on special days is enough.

A garland on a departed person's photo shows that they are remembered with honour. Many families use a fresh flower garland on anniversaries and in Pitṛ Pakṣa, and a lasting sandalwood or cloth garland at other times. A tilaka or a little sandalwood on the frame is also common in some regions.

Daily rituals before ancestors' photos are not required. Many families light a lamp and offer a flower on the death tithi, Amāvasyā and during Pitṛ Pakṣa, and simply fold their hands when they pass the photo on other days. Some also offer the first morsel of a favourite food on special occasions.

There is a gentle custom of not treating ancestors as the main deity of the home — the daily pūjā goes to God, and ancestors are thanked alongside. But a quiet daily namaskāra to a beloved parent is never wrong; it keeps their memory alive in children too.

Source: common family practice

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