190630-TEMPLE RITUALS

श्री  गणेश  मंदिर   -  शिक्षा वाणी
Serene Sunday Reflections

05MAY19 - HINDU’s SANATHANA DHARMA
12MAY19 - Sanathana Dharma in Vedic Views
19MAY19 - Vedic ways of PURUSHARTHA
26MAY19 - PURUSHARTHA The Blue Print of Practical Life
02JUN19 - Moksha
09JUN19 - MOKSHA & SWARGAM : POORTHA & ISHTA
16JUN19 - PARAM DHAANAM – Best Offering
23JUN19 - RITUALS

30th June 2019
TEMPLE RITUALS

KEYWORDS :: Temple Rituals, Offering, Agama Shastra, Anushtana, Achara

Last week we reflected on the rituals as Dharana done in full SRADDHA (concentration) and BHAVA (understanding the inner meaning). Temple rituals are only intact in India whereas places like ancient Egypt, where all such rituals once were highly active, has lost and forgotten all its richness in heritage.

Hindu Temples in and outside India still keep and continue rituals which are older than the oldest that exists in this world. Hindu temples are mushrooming all over the world, numbering in hundreds of thousands in structures like luxurious and rich palaces, rustic abandoned warehouses, simple halls with just a picture of God or granite stone in a jungle or roadside.

To participate in the temple rituals, one should dress modestly, respect the priests and other visitors, refrain from gossip and worldly talk to enjoy a spiritual time. The Hindu worship service follows certain procedures- rituals called puja, literally adoration with mantras (verses/hymns) and hand gestures (mudras), ringing bell etc. These procedures are mostly based on Vedas which are modified to fit in the temple as described under Agama Shastra. There are special occasions like yearly mega festivals (like Utsavam etc) where specific procedures are followed apart from the daily temple rituals.

Following are the steps followed in the daily Temple Rituals as prescribed in the Agama Shastra

1. The Priest should purify himself
2. Sanctify the place of worship
3. Spiritualize the precious substances to offer the Deity like - water, uncooked rice, holy ash, sandalwood paste, Kumkum and the lamp to be lighted
4. Light the lamp
5. Invites God/Goddesses to come and dwell in the lamp/deity/image
6. A ritualistic bath, called abhishekam, in which water, sesame oil, turmeric, saffron, milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, lime juice, vibhuti, sandalwood paste, panchamritam (a mixture of five fruits), coconut water and rosewater, is given for the Deity
7. Deity is dressed in new clothes and beautifully decorated with flowers, etc.
8. Incense, oil lamps and food will be offered
9. The Priest offers flowers while chanting 108 names of the God and devotees may also sing bhajans to please the God
10. At the highest point of the puja, a large lamp is waved before the Diety and bells are rung loudly as God sends His power through the holy image of Himself that is absorbed by the water, food, flower, ashes (vibhoothi)
11. When the lamp is lowered, everyone prostrates to the Divine.
12. The lamp is then carried out to bless the worshipers, who often leave a donation on the tray (or later in the temple offering box).
13. Finally, depending on the tradition, sacraments such as sacred ash, blessed water, sandalwood paste, kumkum, fruits, sweets and flowers are passed out to bless everyone who is present. These include a portion of the offerings--flowers, cooked food and more--brought by devotees.
14. Devotees may then sit in meditation, relaxing in the blessings invoked by the puja.
15. Make God to sleep, devotees may sing devotional songs during this time.

What we described here as the ritual is called ANUSHTANA and varied versions of this may be in practice at different places with variations acceptable to the locals which are called ACHARAS. Having reflected on the temple rituals, we shall see the Temples and its Power in the coming week.

----- Next Week 7^th July 2019 – TEMPLES AND ITS POWER –-----
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