Daily and Special Pujas in the Home

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Hare Krishna, Please find below an article by Mr. Bhattathiri describing , the Pujas that are done daily and on special occasions in the home . The daily ritual of puja The daily ritual of puja is performed in a sacred corner in a worship room of the home. It is done to keep the devotee to be in touch with his Personal God , say Sri Krishna and to be aware of own duties as individual.

The ritual of puja has three steps. The first is seeing Sri Krishna (darshana). A small ‘deity ‘ or picture of Krishna is placed in the sacred corner. The second step is the worship of Krishna, or puja. The worshiper offers Krishna flowers, fruits, and cooked food (bhog). The third step is retrieving the blessed food (prasada) and consuming it. This is to bring Krishna down to earth and brings the devotee closer to the Lord . There are special rituals that only the priests, or brahmin, can perform. These are called the shrauta rituals and are very complex and elaborate sacrifices . These "fire-sacrifice" rituals are to bring out the central element of power of Krishna and His manifestations as other Gods and nature through the fire. In some cases, the brahmins

are paid by devotee to perform these sacrifices for the buyer's benefit. ------- Special Occasions : Rites of passage rituals are the most common special occasion rituals performed by Hindus.

These are usually performed by individuals rather than brahmins and are conducted within the family. Hindus believe that there are four stages in life. Those being childhood, youth, middle age, and old age. These rituals are called samskars. Samskars at birth begin even before a child is born. Garbhadana (conception) is the fervent prayer for a child. This is done in order to fulfill the parental duties to continue the race. Punsavana (fetus protection) is performed during the third or fourth month of pregnancy before the fetus is conscious. The prayers hope to invoke divine qualities in the child. Simantonnyana (satisfying the craving of the pregnant mother) is similar to a baby shower. It is performed during the seventh month, and prayers are offered for healthy physical and mental growth of the child. Jatakarma is performed at the birth of the child. It is done to welcome the child into the family. Mantras, or verse prayers, are recited for a healthy, long life. The goal of this samskar is to provide a comfortable atmosphere for the child and mother. The naming ceremony, or namakarna, is done according to scriptural procedures. Also at this time is the nishkarmana, or taking the child outdoors for the first time. This is performed at the age of four months. The final samskar for childhood is the annaprasana, or giving the child solid food for the first time. Detailed instructions are followed from the scriptures (Grihyasutra) regarding what food to give and how to give it. This is done in the seventh or eighth month after birth. For boys in the upper three castes, a second birth ceremony is performed. This is known as the thread ceremony or upanayan. During this ritual, boys eat a final meal with their mothers, and then are introduced to man

hood. After this ceremony, boys are expected to eat with the men and take on more responsibilities. They "die" of their young self, and are "born" into their new, older self. Marriage (vivaha) is the middle age passage. The Hindu marriage is much more than an exchange of vows and rings. Before and during the nuptials, many rites are performed in the presence of family deities. These rites show the importance of a strong bond between a husband and wife. The Vivaha is considered incomplete without the blessings of a spiritual or divine element. The Misri, or ring ceremony, starts the marriage off. Here, the families ask the Gods for blessings, the groom's family welcomes the bride into the family, rings and garlands are exchanged between the couple, and the groom's family gives a verbal promise of marriage and feeds misri (crystalline sugar) to the girl's family to confirm engagement. The next step is Mehndi, or painting of the hands and feet with henna. This is to signify the strength of love between a couple in marriage. A special musical party, or Sangeet Party, is held. Music and dance

are performed by professionals and is a festive time. Special pujas are performed to worship the nine planets, and the Ghari Puja is done as the main rite of passage. The actual wedding ceremony is performed by the priest and signifies the joining of the souls. The blessing by the priest completes the marriage ceremony and is called Ashirwaad. After the main ceremony, the salt ceremony, or Datar, is performed. This exchange of salt symbolizes the new bride's willingness to blend in and become a part of her new family. For a more detail look at the marriage rituals. The final rite of passage is death. In the Hindu tradition, individuals are cremated and special rites are done to ensure a good after life. Other special rituals include the Griha. These are domestic rites that are taught by priests for use in the home. They celebrate new and full moons, changing of the seasons, first fruits of the harvest, the building of a new house, birth of a son, and

the above-mentioned, rites of passage. Om Namo Narayanaya!

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