Almost everything in this world comes in a package today. From packaged food and bottled water to holiday packages and hospitalization packages, everything is available for a price. Even so, some things usually defy such packaging. Example? The various ingredients required for performing a puja (prayer/worship). But during the recent festive season, puja has also been packaged, thanks to a Puja package from an enterprising entrepreneur. Agarbatti, diya, candles, idols for worship, and books containing religious mantras in all Indian languages are just a few of the 30 odd items which the box contains. One wonders if some other smart event manager will include performing household puja as a special forte in their publicity brochure.
In this world of contrivance, “consumer convenience” is the motto which drives enterprises. Is this the ultimate bliss that the consumer is looking for? Or are there customers who are discerning enough to separate the chaff from the seed. A puja package can provide the articles associated with the puja but the performance of the puja itself has to be done by a human entity. The mantras and rituals associated with Hindu religion have a lot of depth and philosophy which is lost to the current generation. Puja is performed during the festive season in all households but the nuances and subtlety of the same is something which eludes many amongst us.
Here are a few “aachaaraas” or customs and rituals which are commonly performed in Hindu dharma or religion. Understanding the meaning and significance of the same gives one an insight into the actions performed.
Pranam or Namaste
In Sanskrit namah+te = Namaste. ‘Namah’ means to bow to give obeisance or reverential salute; ‘te’ means - to you. Namaha is also sometimes literally interpreted as “na ma”, meaning – not me. It has a spiritual significance of negating one’s ego in the presence of another. Namo : stu can also mean “let there be salutation to you”. Namaste or pranam is done by placing two palms in front of the chest and a head bow. When the hands are higher it signifies reverence and/or worship. When placed straight in front of the chest it is known as the aayushman gesture. The expression with hand placed on top of one’s head is usually the sign of utmost respect. Spiritually this means that the divinity, the self or the lord in me is the same in all.
Why do we fast? Upavaasa or fasting is an integral part of Hindu religion. Upa means ”near” and vaasa means “to stay”. Upavaasa thus means staying near the lord to attain close mental proximity. Individuals observe fasts based on personal beliefs, customs and locality. Fasting on certain days of the month like ekadashi and purnima; on certain days of the week like Mondays (for Lord Shiva) and Friday or Saturday (Lord Vishnu); fasting during festivals like Maha Shivratri, Navratri, Vijayadashami, Diwali and Karwa Chauth are the different fasts practiced in India. The philosophical take on fasting is that - a lot of time is spent in planning, procuring and executing our meals. If one can stay off food on a particular day or occasion like a festival, then one can devote his mind to spiritual thoughts. Since it is a self-imposed form of discipline it is usually adhered to with joy.
Why do we sound a Shankha (conch)?
The sound of the sankha is the victory call of good over evil. Blowing of the conch is believed to shut out negativities in the atmosphere or in the mind of the worshippers. The sound emanating from the sankha is traditionally known to be auspicious. The conch got its name of sankha from a mythological story- Lord Vishnu assumed the form of Matsya Avataara (an enormous fish) and vanquished Sankhaasura (a demon), to reclaim the Vedas from him. After Sankhasura was killed, Lord Vishnu blew the conch-shaped ear on his head. The auspicious sound of Om emanated from the conch and the Vedas were recovered. It is also believed that in ancient India when the sankha was blown in the temple during a puja, people who could not make it to the temple were reminded to stop whatever they were doing and mentally remember God, even if for a few seconds.
Why do we perform aarati?
“Aa” means “to or towards”, ”rati” means “right or virtue” in Sanskrit. Aarati is one of the sixteen steps (shodasa upachara) of the puja ritual. It is performed by a lighted lamp with the wick soaked in ghee or camphor and is offered to one or more deities. The ritual of aarati is said to have descended from the Vedic concept of fire rituals or homa. During the puja the image of the lord is decorated, fruits and delicacies are offered and then the aarati lamp is lit so that our minds are focused on each limb of the lord. When the priest circulates the ‘aarati lamp’ around the deity the lamp is supposed to acquire the power of the deity. When worshippers cup their down-turned hands over the flame and raise it to their forehead, blessings which passed from the lord to the lamp, passes onto the worshipper. The use of camphor in the aarati lamp has significance. Camphor burns itself our completely and is supposed to symbolize the burning out of vasanas (desires) completely by the fire of knowledge. The gesture of lighting an aarati in front of the deity is an expression of humility and gratitude. It epitomizes the five elements of ‘akash (ether)’,’ vayu (wind)’, ‘agni (fire)’,’ jal (water)’ and ‘prithvi (earth)’.
Editor's note: Most articles submitted to Chillibreeze go through a selection process. Only 30 percent of submitted articles are accepted for publication on the Chillibreeze.com featured article list. All accepted articles are edited and proofread for glaring errors of punctuation and grammar. Sentence structure is changed in certain cases and sometimes, entire sections are rewritten. If you notice any errors that have slipped through the cracks, do let us know! (Email us at info at chillibreeze dot com).
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in January, 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
Out of 5 “chilies”, our editorial team gave this article...
—About our writer:
Jaideep Majumdar has a diploma in Management and is employed with a Fortune 500. He has more than 19 years of exposure in the petroleum marketing industry and regularly freelances for the print media. He has experience in report writing, article writing, event reporting, web content writing and story writing. He is currently based in Ajmer, Rajasthan. He loves to explore new places and write about them.
>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers:
Chillibreeze offers Indian writers the opportunity to work on customer projects. We are also India’s biggest writer network and a one-stop shop for Indian writers and editors. The writers’ section on Chillibreeze offers freelance writers and editors a variety of tools to advance their careers. Resources for writers include:
