Importance of Shrāddha and its underlying science

Bharatiya culture says that, just as we serve our parents and close relatives when they are alive as part of abiding by our Dharma, we have certain duties unto them after their death. The shrāddha rites provide us with an excellent opportunity to fulfill these duties and repay our debts unto the pitars.The shrāddha rites are necessary so that the journey of our parents (after death), who have cared for us so much during our childhood, becomes comfortable and without any distress, and they acquire sadgati (Momentum for moving to the next higher region). If shrāddha is not performed, the desires of the pitars remain unfulfilled.