Pooja Article: Nandadeep

Worshipping is an elaborate ritual practiced

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.