Black Sesame (Black Til)

These seeds are used for purifying the body. Water boiled with these seeds makes body pure. Black til is mixed in either milk/ water and then offered to Shiva in the form of Abhishek. It is equivalent to doing abhishek with ‘punchamrat’ (a combination of 5 things). This seed is very dear to the Pitrs. Shastras say that it make the person cross the Vaitarini – the sea of bad karma. One has to cross the Vaitarini to reach Vaikunta. During the shraadh ceremony the Kartha makes a special offering of til or black sesame seeds to pitrs.