The proper opening of a new home in India is a complex and involved process. We started at 6:00 AM with Ganehsa pujas to take advantage of a good muhurta. Only then could we walk through the gate.
Next someone from a couple blocks away brought a female cow and her calf for “go puja”…go meaning cow in Sanskrit. In vedic culture, the cow is considered to be a manifestation of Lakshmi. So first we did an elaborate puja to the cow, which ended with her enjoying some bananas and raw sugar. Then she was invited to enter the home, so that the first guest would be Lakshmi.
Then there was chanting of Rig, Yajur and Sama Vedas as seen below, followed by an elaborate puja for Ganesha, Lakshmi, and Vastu…all of which are intended to purify, strengthen, and sanctify the new yagya facility.
I suppose it is the ultimate living room accessory to have a homam kund right in the middle of the room. Handy for when you want to have a quick yagya! It is about 4 feet deep and the when the fire gets going, it roars….the smoke goes up through a huge chimney in the ceiling.
After all the pujas and yagyas are completed, the water in the kalasha pot is taken to all the rooms and sprinkled around as a final gesture of purification. Then, as one might expect, a great lunch is served.
