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.
