Worshipping the Kalash

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Why do we worship the kalash?

 

A kalash is a brass, mud or copper pot filled with water. Mango

leaves are placed in the mouth of the pot and a coconut is placed

over it. A red or white thread is tied around its neck or sometimes

all around it in an intricate diamond-shaped pattern. The pot may be

decorated with designs. When the pot is filled with water or rice, it

is known as purnakumbha representing the inert body which when filled

with the divine life force gains power to do all the wonderful things

that makes life what it is.

 

A kalash is placed with due rituals on all important occasions like

the traditional house warming (grhapravesh), wedding, daily worship

etc. It is placed near the entrance as a sign of welcome. It is also

used in a traditional manner while receiving holy personages.

 

Before the creation came into being, Lord Vishnu was reclining on His

snake bed in the milky ocean. From His navel emerged a lotus from

which appeared Lord Brahma, the Creator, who thereafter created this

world. The water in the kalash symbolises the primodial water from

which the entire creation emerged. It is the giver of life to all and

has the potential of creating innumerable names and forms, the inert

objects and the sentient beings and all that is auspicious in the

world from the energy behind the universe. The leaves and coconut

represent creation. the thread represents the love that " binds " all

in creation. The kalash is therefore considered auspicious and

worshipped.

 

The waters from all the holy rivers, the knowledge of all the vedas

and the blessings of all the deities are invoked in the kalash and

its water is thereafter used for all the rituals, including the

abhisheka. The consecration (kumbhaabhisheka) of a temple is done in

a grand manner with elaborate rituals including the pouring of one or

more kalash of holy water on the top of the temple.

 

When the asurs and the devas churned the milky ocean, the Lord

appeared bearing the pot of nectar which blessed one with everlasting

life. Thus the kalash also symbolises immortality.

 

Men of wisdom are full and complete as they identify the infinite

truth (poornatvam. They brim with joy and love and represent all that

is auspicious. We greet them with a purnakumbha ( " full pot " )

acknowledging their greatness and as a sign of respectful reverential

welcome, with a " full heart " .