Bhaktisandesam / Hindu Rites and Rituals

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Hari-Om

 

The Worship of Personal Gods

 

For the vast majority of Hindus, the most important religious path is

bhakti (devotion) to personal gods. There are a wide variety of gods

to choose from, and although sectarian adherence to particular

deities is often strong, there is a widespread acceptance of choice

in the desired god (ishta devata) as the most appropriate focus for

any particular person. Most devotees are therefore polytheists,

worshiping all or part of the vast pantheon of deities, some of whom

have come down from Vedic times. In practice, a worshiper tends to

concentrate prayers on one deity or on a small group of deities with

whom there is a close personal relationship.

 

The 'Puja' or Worship

Puja (worship) of the gods consists of a range of ritual offerings

and prayers typically performed either daily or on special days

before an image of the deity, which may be in the form of a person or

a symbol of the sacred presence.

 

In its more developed forms, puja consists of a series of ritual

stages beginning with personal purification and invocation of the

god, followed by offerings of flowers, food, or other objects such as

clothing, accompanied by fervent prayers. Some dedicated worshipers

perform these ceremonies daily at their home shrines; others travel

to one or more temples to perform puja, alone or with the aid of

temple priests who receive offerings and present these offerings to

the gods. The gifts given to the gods become sacred through contact

with their images or with their shrines, and may be received and used

by worshipers as the grace (prasada) of the divine. Sacred ash or

saffron powder, for example, is often distributed after puja and

smeared on the foreheads of devotees. In the absence of any of these

ritual objects, however, puja may take the form of a simple prayer

sent toward the image of the divine, and it is common to see people

stop for a moment before roadside shrines to fold their hands and

offer short invocations to the gods.

 

Gurus & Saints

 

Since at least the seventh century A.D., the devotional path has

spread from the south throughout India through the literary and

musical activities of saints who have been some of the most important

representatives of regional languages and traditions. The hymns of

these saints and their successors, mostly in vernacular forms, are

memorized and performed at all levels of society. Every state in

India has its own bhakti tradition and poets who are studied and

revered. In Tamil Nadu, groups called Nayanmars (devotees of Shiva)

and Alvars (devotees of Vishnu) were composing beautiful poetry in

the Tamil language as early as the sixth century. In Bengal one of

the greatest poets was Chaitanya (1485-1536), who spent much of his

life in a state of mystical ecstasy. One of the greatest North Indian

saints was Kabir (ca. 1440-1518), a common leatherworker who stressed

faith in God without devotion to images, rituals, or scriptures.

Among female poets, Princess Mirabai (ca. 1498-1546) from Rajasthan

stands out as one whose love for Krishna was so intense that she

suffered persecution for her public singing and dancing for the lord.

A recurring motif that emerges from the poetry and the hagiographies

of these saints is the equality of all men and women before God and

the ability of people from all castes and occupations to find their

way to union with God if they have enough faith and devotion. In this

sense, the bhakti tradition serves as one of the equalizing forces in

Indian society and culture.

 

 

SOURCE: Library of Congress Country Studies

 

 

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Jai Shree Krishna !