https://bharatobserver.in/pada-puja-to-parents-honouring-parents-preserving-timeless-values/

[NOTE: This is an article published in Bharat Observer regarding Global Hindu Heritage Foundation efforts to revive the traditional custom pertaining to the performance of Pada Puja to parents, expressing their respect toward parents]

2026/08/17 
Sai Srinivas
Keeping an Age-Old Tradition Alive
Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF) is committed to helping children discover the richness, wisdom, and timeless values of Sanatana Dharma. Through Bala Samskar classes, our young students are introduced to Hindu scriptures, stories, traditions, and the profound values that have guided generations.
Our children learn about the nature of the Divine, the qualities of our Devas and Devis, the significance of different Avataras, and the lives and virtues of great figures such as Lord Rama. More importantly, they are encouraged to understand these teachings not merely as stories, but as values that can be practised in everyday life.
One such beautiful tradition is Pada Puja to Parents—an expression of gratitude, humility, respect, and reverence towards one’s parents.
Parents: Our First Teachers and Guides
In Sanatana Dharma, parents hold a deeply respected place in a child’s life. They are among our first teachers, protectors, guides, and role models. The traditional teaching “Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava” reminds us to regard our mother and father with the highest respect.
Before a child learns from a classroom teacher, parents teach them their first words, values, habits, responsibilities, and lessons about life. They make countless sacrifices to provide their children with opportunities, security, education, and a better future.
Teaching young people to respect their parents is therefore not simply about following an old custom. It is about cultivating gratitude, humility, compassion, responsibility, and family values—qualities that remain essential throughout life.
The Significance of Pada Puja
Pada Puja is a traditional practice through which children express their gratitude and reverence towards their parents. By bowing before their parents and seeking their blessings, children are reminded of the profound role their parents have played in their lives.
The gesture carries a powerful message: we should never become so successful that we forget the people who helped us reach where we are.
For young people growing up in a rapidly changing world, such practices can create a meaningful connection with their family, heritage, and spiritual roots. They remind children that progress and modernity need not mean abandoning the values passed down through generations.
The Deeper Meaning of Touching the Feet
The practice of Padasparshan, or touching the feet of elders, represents humility and respect. The child bows before the elder, acknowledging their experience, guidance, and blessings.
Traditional explanations also associate the practice with the flow of positive energy and blessings between the younger and elder generations. Whether understood spiritually or symbolically, the act represents an exchange of respect, goodwill, blessings, and positive intentions.
The elder’s blessing upon the child further reinforces this beautiful relationship: the younger generation approaches with humility, while the elder responds with affection, wisdom, and blessings.
How Pada Sparshan Is Traditionally Performed
To seek the blessings of an elder, the child traditionally bends forward and reaches towards the elder’s feet without bending the knees. The hands are positioned so that the right hand touches the elder’s left foot and the left hand touches the elder’s right foot.
The elder then places their right hand upon the child’s head and offers their blessings.
The physical gesture is simple, but its meaning is profound. It teaches children to approach their elders with humility rather than pride, gratitude rather than entitlement, and respect rather than indifference.
Teaching the Youth the Values of Sanatana Dharma
Sanatana Dharma is not merely a collection of rituals. It is a way of life rooted in dharma, gratitude, self-discipline, compassion, humility, responsibility, and respect for all living beings.
When children learn to respect their parents, they are learning one of the foundational values of this tradition.
In an age when young people are increasingly influenced by rapidly changing social and digital environments, preserving meaningful family traditions can help them remain connected to their roots. Practices such as Pada Puja provide children with an opportunity to pause, reflect, express gratitude, and understand the sacrifices made by their parents.
Through Bala Samskar, GHHF strives to make these timeless values accessible to the younger generation—not simply by teaching them what our traditions are, but by encouraging them to experience, understand, and practise them.
Passing the Torch to the Next Generation
Every generation inherits something from the one before it. Our responsibility is to ensure that the wisdom, values, and traditions that have sustained our civilization for thousands of years are not forgotten.
Pada Puja is more than a ceremonial act. It is a reminder that gratitude begins at home.
When a child bows before their parents, they are not lowering themselves—they are learning the strength of humility. When parents bless their children, they pass forward love, wisdom, and hope.
By teaching our youth to honour their parents and respect their elders, we help nurture a generation that is confident in the modern world while remaining deeply connected to its civilizational roots.
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