Pooja Article: Nandadeep
every day in most of the Hindu homes. It requires a number of special
Pooja articles that is difficult to find everywhere. Every object associated
with the ritual of Puja or worship is symbolically significant. The
statue or image of the deity, which is called ‘Vigraha’ means something
that is devoid of the ill effects of the planets or ‘grahas’. The flower
that we offer to the deity stands for the good that has blossomed in
us. The fruits offered symbolize our detachment, self-sacrifice and
surrender, and the incense we burn collectively stands for the desires
we have for various things in life. The lamp we light represents the
light in us, that is the soul, which we offer to the Absolute. The
vermilion or red powder stands for our emotions.
The traditional pooja is often an individual ritual and for the
families rather than to a mass of congregation. The spirit of sacrifice
and offering of ones belonging is stressed in these services. The
devotees take what is given back to them as “Prasadams”, let it
be holy water, ashes, kumkum, a flower, a fruit or a full meal.
The prayer services at home are also very similar in practice.
Often there is a special prayer room in the home. Here, prayer
services are offered to a picture, small icon [vigraha] or a lamp
which is sanctified by rituals for the occasion. The Divine powers
of the form of God offered prayer on that occasion is represented
in this. The rituals are simple and they first invite God as a
guest to the house. The God is then woken up every morning with
a morning service with ceremonial bath with water, milk and other
perfumed substances, dressing up with cloths and Jewelry. The services
are repeated four to six times or more every day, with offering
of food as “prasadam” and singing prayers and songs in praise of
the Deity and chanting of the traditional Mantras and singing of
the Bhajans in the background. The service concludes with the rendition
of the traditional Aarti and the offering of “prasadams” of fruits,
flowers and food to the devotees attending the prayer services.
We herein present an exhaustive list of various Pooja Items (Samagari)
that is used for our everyday Pooja or during any other festive
occasion or ritual.
One set of Pooja Samagiri will contain these items:
- 1 Betel Leaf and 1 100 grams Packet of Supari [Betel Nuts]
- 1 Jahanav weighing 20 grams
- 1 25 grams Packet of Cotton [for making wicks]
- 1 Set of three seperate packets of 25 grams Packet each of Sindoor
[Kum Kum], Haldi [Turmeric] and Abir
- 1 25 grams Sandalwood Stick
- 1 Container of 100 Coins of Camphor
Weight: 1.0 Kg.
Pooja Samagiri $10.00
Copper Plate