Blessings!
March 31, 2007
At the end of a puja or yagya the presiding priest will often place a small dot of kumkum on your forehead as you see happening in the photo above. Kumkum is a reddish powder that is made from tumeric (haldi) and lime juice. It is associated with Lakshmi and the tradition is that at the end of a puja it is a “container” for the blessings of the puja.
A the end of a fire yagya (homam) a little of the ash is mixed with some ghee to make a dark black paste. The priest will also place a small dot of it on your forehead as a form of blessing.
In a Shiva temple it is often both kumkum and some vibhuti. Vibhuti is associated with Shiva and is made from a scented and highly purified white ash which is worn as you seen in the photo below.
Aarti
March 30, 2007
An integral part of every puja or yagya is the burning of camphor while a few mantras are chanted. This process is called aarti and is a very flexible and enjoyable part of a puja or yagya, or can even be performed alone. In the photo below, the priest is performing aarti at the end of a Rudra abishekam. The camphor is burned in a small tray and is rotated in front of the deity in a circular, clockwise motion. Camphor is made from the sap of the camphor tree and it burns very cleanly, with a relatively cool flame. There is no residue or ash left over so it is an appropriate symbol for the process of the ego gradually being dissolved and merging with the light of the divine.
At the end of the aarti, you pass your hands over the flame to receive a blessing and then pass them over your own head. When you visit a temple in India, the most simple form of puja that is performed is aarti. It generally takes about 5 minutes or so.
Rudra abishekam
March 29, 2007
This photo is taken towards the end of the rudra abishekam. You can see that the lingam (center) has been decorated with flowers and the green leaves of the bilva tree are scattered around the base of the lingam. Over the lingam you see a copper container decorated with orange marigold flower malas, into which water is poured so that it will drip slowly and steadily onto the lingam.
Another interesting difference between a Varanasi temple like this one, and the southern temple style is that here the lingam is quite low and the priests are seated around it. In the south the lingam would be in a sanctum and elevated quite a bit higher up as you see in the following photo.
Shiva abishekam
March 28, 2007
Shiva (Rudra) is the destroyer of ignorance and as such is considered to be quite “hot”. So in most temples there is a schedule of rudra abishekams that take place as often as every two to four hours throughout the day.
In the photo below the Shiva lingam is seen in the center with the priests surrounding it, having completed the abishekam process. The lingam has been “dressed” in a fresh dhoti and decorated with vibhuti (sacred ash).
During Rudra Abishekam, two hymns from Yajur Veda are chanted; Rudram which honors Shiva in his many forms, and Chamakam which asks him for all sorts of blessings.
Abishekam; divine bathing
March 27, 2007
It is an interesting part of the vedic tradition, that the murti in a temple must be purified in various ways. One of the most enjoyable is called abishekam. It is, in its essence, a process of giving the murti a bath to purify it so that the deity (Lakshmi in this case, seen above) will happily take residence in the temple and bless the devotees.
So in that sense, the murti is seen as a “container” for the deity and that container must be properly maintained. For example, each month when the Moon is in the nakshatra (vedic constellation) called Utara Phalguni, Lakshmi receives a bath (abishekam). Mantras are chanted and water, then milk, buttermilk, yogurt curd, scented sandalwood paste, turmeric, rose water, and other ingredients are poured over her.
Note also that the priests are careful to maintain her modesty, with a special sari that serves as a “bathing suit”. At the end of the abishekam, the temple really does feel refreshed, clean, and somehow lighter. It is a very enjoyable temple function well worth attending when you have the chance.
Utsava Murti
March 26, 2007
Another charming tradition in the temples that I have visited is that the deity, while usually situated deep in the inner sanctum, is frequently taken out for various festivals and celebrations. So, as you see here in this Lakshmi temple, there is a large granite Lakshmi in the back and a smaller utsava (or festival) deity in the foreground.
The utsava murti is usually made of brass and is always elaborately dressed in a silk sari with jewels, and flowers. For whatever reason the utsava murtis are always made with a very happy expression. The front hands are in the mudra of protection (our left) and giving (our right side). Her hands in the back are holding lotus flowers. She wears a very tall crown in the style of south india.
It is also worth noting that the blue sari shown above is a single piece of silk about 8 yards long (24 feet!). The proper way to fold and drape the silk is quite elaborate and temples will frequently have one priests who’s specialty is the dressing and decorating of the deities (called alankaram in sanskrit).
And to every rule…..
March 25, 2007
There is an exception.
I had written yesterday that most of the murtis in the north were white because they are typically carved from marble as opposed to a dark granite as in the south of India. Well, I was looking through some photos from recent Varanasi yagyas and what do I find? A dark murti of Nandi from a Varanasi temple. So every rule has its exception…
North India Murti
March 24, 2007
As you can see from this beautiful murti of Durga, she is carved from a nice light white marble. Interestingly enough, this is a new experience for me because I have only visited South India, particularly Tamil Nadu where the murtis are carved from a dark granite which turns black when sesame oil is applied. So the deities in the temples are very dark as you can see in the following photo of two Ganeshas.
It is another aspect of the traditional culture of India that I find particularly fascinating. The Vedic tradition is substantially the same throughout India, but there are many variations north/south, or even in the different states of the same region.
Nandi, Shiva’s bull
March 23, 2007
Every deity has a “vahana” or mount that they ride around on. In the case of Shiva it is a bull, Vishnu has an eagle, Ganesha as mouse, etc.
Every Shiva temple has a Nandi, who sits always looking towards Shiva. Nandi is actually quite a funny character in Vedic mythology who has quite a few great stories about him. In the netcast section of Puja.net look for episode #37 for several stories, especially the one where Nandi takes the form of a shark to help Shiva win back Parvati after she had gotten angry with him and taken birth as a girl living in a fishing village.
One tradition with Nandi is that when people go to a temple, they lean over and whisper what they want in Nandi’s ear because he is always looking at Shiva and will make sure that Shiva hears your prayer at the most opportune time. It is a very charming tradition.
Evening Yagya
March 23, 2007
It is not often that a fire yagya (homam) is performed at night. So far as I know, most temples only perform an evening homam for Ganesha Chaturthi a few days after the full moon. A night time yagya is such a beautiful sight and there is something about it that transcends time. Perhaps it is the primal nature of fire and the sounds of ancient mantras. The yagya in the above photo is being performed overlooking the Ganges in Varanasi.