Ask anyone who grew up in an Indian home and they will remember it: before lunch on an Amavasya, or during Pitru Paksha, a small plate of rice going out to the terrace or the compound wall, and someone calling out to the crows.
The crow as a messenger
Across many regions of India, the crow is associated with the world of the ancestors. It is widely believed that the pitrs receive the offering through the crow, and so a crow arriving and eating from the Shradh leaf is read as a sign that the offering has been accepted. The crow is also associated with Yama, the lord of death, and is known as the vahana (mount) of Shani.
This belief is part of a larger idea in the Shradh rites — that the meal is not only for the family, but is shared with the creatures around us. The portion for the crow sits alongside portions for the cow, the dog, the ants and the devas.
A daily custom, not only a ritual
In many South Indian homes, feeding crows was never limited to Shradh. A small portion of the day's cooked rice — kakkaikku sadam in Tamil — would be placed out before the family ate. On Amavasya days, and especially on Mahalaya Amavasya, the practice takes on particular importance.
How to offer food to crows
- Prepare the food: cooked rice, commonly mixed with black sesame and a little ghee. Some families add a small portion of each dish cooked for the Shradh meal.
- Use a leaf: a banana leaf or a clean plate, placed on a terrace, wall or open ground.
- Offer with the names: say the names of the ancestors you are remembering.
- Offer before the family eats: traditionally the family eats only after the crow's portion has been set out.
What if no crow comes?
Many people worry about this. In dense cities, and in many countries abroad, crows may be fewer or simply wary. Tradition treats the crow's acceptance as a welcome sign, but the offering itself — made with sincerity and the names of your loved ones — is what matters. Leave the food out for a while; if it remains, share it with other birds or animals rather than wasting it.
Why crows?
Beyond scripture and story, there is a quieter logic too. Crows live closely alongside people, recognise faces, and clean up what we leave behind. Setting aside the first portion of our meal for a creature so bound up with human life is a small act of gratitude — and a reminder that no meal belongs to us alone.
Crow Feed — Komatha Seva
Rice with sesame and ghee offered to the crows at dawn in India, with your ancestors' names in the sankalpa. $10 per offering.
Offer Kaka BaliRelated reading: Pitru Paksha 2026 dates and meaning · Mahalaya Amavasya
Frequently asked questions
What is Kaka Bali?
Kaka Bali is the portion of the Shradh meal offered to crows, usually cooked rice with sesame and ghee, placed on a leaf before the family eats.
What does it mean if a crow does not eat the Shradh food?
Tradition reads a crow accepting the food as a good sign, but in many cities crows are simply fewer or busier. Make the offering sincerely; it can also be shared with other birds and animals.
