Poojas are an ancient form of pleasing Gods, stemming from the "Vedic Science". A Pooja can help you get well, rebind relationships, find a soul mate, beget children and it may even remove bad karma or negative aspects in a horoscope or with Vastu...
An essential part of the Pooja is the spiritual connection the devotee crafts with the divine. Most often that contact is made possible through an external object: a facet of nature, a figurine, a vessel, a painting of God and so on.
The Almighty is then invited to the vortex by chanting mantras. There are a lot of standard procedures in a Pooja and they are designed to invoke the devotional aspect of the devotee - of worship and devoutness. It is essential that one spotlessly cleans all the Pooja items: the lamps, the idol, the fruits offered as Prasad, and make the necessary arrangements.
Below mentioned are the extra steps which might/ might not be performed in a Pooja. One must also note that the steps in a Pooja can vary depending upon the purpose or the deity invoked.
At the start of the Pooja, the performer as well as the other people who are participating in the Pooja, pray for the cleansing of their heart and soul and seek divine blessings of their ancestors and other divine beings.
Once the chief deity of the Pooja has been invoked, a few drops of water are poured in front of the idol. This is equal to washing the feet of the Almighty. Prayers are offered from the bottom of the heart in order to appease him and attain his blessings!
In the Hindu scriptures, the elephant headed God, Ganesha is always worshipped in the beginning of any ritual, and for his blessings to ensure that the whole procedure would move smoothly unhindered by any external obstacles at any stage. Lord Ganesha is invoked into a conical figure made by mixing turmeric powder and water. Turmeric is considered very propitious and auspicious; and is therefore used to represent Lord Ganesha. Thereafter, a method of worship involving sixteen steps is performed to please Lord Ganesha. This is called "Shodashopachara" Pooja. All these steps are symbolical representations of the various forms of expressing reverence like offering the deity a golden throne to be seated, washing his feet, washing his hands, offering him water to drink, ceremonial bathing with sacred waters, offering new clothes, anointing him with sandal paste and other perfumes, adorning of jewels, worshipping with flowers, offering of fragrant incense, lighting the lamp, offering food, fruits and sweet drinks, chanting his praises, offering Aarthi and finally prostrating to him and seeking his blessings.
Prayer to be chanted while praying to Lord Ganesha: "Suklam Baradharam Vishnum Sashivarnam Chaturbhujam Prasanna vadanam Dhyayet Sarva Vighnoposhantaye"
Hydration ritual literally means bathing God's idol. In addition to water, milk, rose water, sandalwood paste, tender coconut, a mixture of fruits etc are also used to bathe the Holy and Heavenly being.
A decorative and beautiful piece of silk clothing is offered to the idol. Later, flowers and jewels are also used to dress the deity. Devotees sometimes offer this piece of clothing requesting God for their prayers to come true.
A devotee will make offerings like fruits, flowers, coconut, beetle leaves etc. The devotee will then receive the food offerings back in the form of Prasad or blessings from the Deity. Various types of flowers are used to offer Archana to the God. The sacred priest chants suitable mantras while simultaneously performing the Archana. Also various names of the Almighty are called upon to strengthen the prayers of the devotees.
Incense sticks are offered after Archana to the chief deity. It is said that even Lord Shiva loves the aroma of incense stick. An incense stick is alighted because it is said that the celestial beings love the fragrance of incense sticks. It is a way of appeasing your favorite God.
The Dhoopam is followed by offering of Deepam (a ghee or oil lamp).
Offering food to the God is considered most auspicious. The food is prepared with great devotion and care to offer to the chief deity of the Pooja. Cooked foods like Sweet Pongal (an Indian delicacy), dry fruits etc are offered to the God in a pious manner.
The aarthi is the part of a Pooja where in a camphor is lit and waved to the idol of the deity to the accompaniment of the brass bell. After it is waved in the direction of the idols, all the members of the family take turns to almost touch the flame with deep reverence.
The Sankalpa is the most important part in a Pooja. The entire ritual is carried along with the strong will and wish of the participants. Each Pooja is performed for a definite purpose; and it is this purpose that the performer and participants clearly hold within their minds as they take Sankalpa. It is at this time that the participants of the sacred Pooja get to pray for their wishes like "God, grant me with power, knowledge and riches", "Let the Almighty bless me with a good married life and a well matching spouse", and so on...
Offering prayers to the God, prostrating at his feet and circumambulating the sanctum are an Indian customary. It is said that God answers the prayers of those, who involve themselves so traditionally in performing rites and rituals to the Almighty.
Garbarakshambigai Amman is the Goddess who can bless eligible couples with the gift of progeny. The word ‘Garba’ means pregnancy, ‘Raksha’ is protection, and ‘Amman’ is Goddess. Garbarakshambigai, as her name suggests, is the guardian angel of expectant mothers. She is a supreme, divine, feminine power in a highly compassionate form, and is regarded as an aspect of Goddess Parvati, the consort of Lord Shiva.
The star constellation that the Moon is transiting or staying in, at the time of birth of a person, is known as his or her birth star. This is also known as the individual’s Nakshatra or Janma Nakshatra. This phenomenon will get repeated in every star cycle and will generally happen once a month and 12 times a year. When the Moon travels in the birth star of a person during his or her month of birth, that day will be known as the person’s star birthday.
Ashtalakshmi refers to the 8 divine forms of the Lakshmi, the supreme Goddess of wealth, fertility and fortune. Lakshmi is the divine consort of the supreme God of protection, Vishnu and the compassionate universal mother. She remains as an embodiment of prosperity and auspiciousness, while her name Lakshmi itself is said to symbolize the understanding of the real purpose of our existence.
Vaidhyanatha Pooja - Stay Hale and Healthy Why Vaidhyanatha Pooja Vaidhyanatha Pooja will encircle you with positive vibrations and shield you against all health disorders. This powerful Pooja will be a remedy to all your illnesses. If health ailments are your worries, then this Pooja is the spiritual therapy to cure it! Vaidhyanatha
Durga is the universal mother Goddess. She is the aggressive form of the divine Shakti and remains as a very widely worshipped divinity. The Sanskrit term ‘Durga’ means ‘the one who is incomprehensible or difficult to reach,’ and she is believed to a homogenous combine of both the gracious and terrifying aspects. Being the divine mother of all beings, she represents the infinite power of the universe and held as the symbol of the female dynamism.
Ketu is a Nodal planet. It does not own any sign in the natural zodiac. However, it acts as an agent for the owner of the sign in which it is placed and also as an agent for the overlord of the star in which it is placed. Ketu when placed in a fiery sign would render a fierce nature and will exploit all subjects with an aggressive thirst of quest.
Sun is the ultimate source of life on Earth. Sun in our horoscope represents, power, authority, Government, our health and journey of our soul.
Planet Moon rules over our mind, heart and emotions. Moon is the karaka of our mind and heart. Moon represents our thought process, belief, ideology, creativity, emotions, ideas etc. Moon is also the governing planet of our skin, brain cells, emotions, sentiments and body fluids.
According to Vedic Astrology, Mars is a fierce planet and commander among the Navagraha. Also known as Chevvai, Kuja, Angaraha and Bowma, Mars is a highly energetic planet that can symbolize the emotional aspects of a person. The fiery planet denotes traits like courage, aggression, enemies, weapons, engineering, armed forces, police, administrators, and metals. Mars, when well-placed in a birth chart, it can impart strength, courage, confidence, and vitality in an individual.
According to Vedic Astrology, Mercury is regarded as the most wise and youngest of Navagraha. Mercury is regarded as the planet of knowledge, intellect, and wealth. Also called as Budha, it denotes how you make sense of the world, originate ideas and communicate them with others. Hailed as Buddhi Karaka, the ruler of wisdom and hence is called as Budha. With the blessings of Mercury, one can improve thinking capability, communication skills, idea formulation, strategy planning, and execution.
Jupiter is considered to be the teacher of the mankind who governs religion and spiritualism. It has been proven astrologically that Jupiter is the planet of “Success”. Jupiter is the other term for excellence; he is the teacher, the priest, and the crusader of life. Lord Jupiter represents the higher mind, the vision of truth, optimism, indulgence, wisdom, and desire.
This Venus Pooja invokes the blessings of Venus, who is called the planet of love. Appeasing Venus with a special Pooja can help you express your love and bestow you with long life, wealth, happiness, children, property, and good education
Lord Ganesha is the chief deity of this powerful Pooja. He is considered the ‘God of Luck’ and he blesses his devotees with smooth success in all their endeavors! Shri Ganesha is remembered by all his devotees at every moment of their lives. Ganesha is the remover of all obstacles in your life. Shri Ganesha is the symbol of auspiciousness, a miraculous combination of an elephant and a human, with four hands to bless his devotees.
Saturn is the most dreadful planet among all the other planets. While he transits to your zodiac, he makes sure that he puts you through trials and tribulations. Even people, who had been successful all through their life, suffer significantly during their Saturn period. You must know that all his rough attempts are merely to guide you on the perfect path of life.
Rahu is a Nodal planet. It does not own any sign in the natural zodiac. However, it acts as an agent for the owner of the sign in which it is places and also as an agent for the overlord of the star in which it is placed. Rahu when placed in a fiery signs would render a fierce nature and will exploit all subjects with an aggressive thirst of quest.
Saraswati is the Goddess of learning. She is an embodiment of knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. She is the divine consort of Brahma, the God of creation and is counted as one among the three supreme Goddesses, the other 2 being Lakshmi and Parvati. Saraswati is regarded as the Goddess for all kinds of arts and sciences.
Muruga is a unique Godhead, who is a rare combination of exceptional courage and supreme intelligence. He is the divine son of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati and is also known as in many other names such as Subramanya, Karthikeya, Shanmuga, and Skanda, He remains as the core of all the divine energies and is believed to lead one towards spiritual evolution.
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth. She is one among the supreme Goddesses of the Hindu pantheon and the divine consort of Vishnu, the supreme God of protection. She is the universal mother and an embodiment of compassion and is believed to represent auspiciousness, fertility, and fortune.
The name Hayagriva consists of two words. ‘Haya’ meaning ‘horse’ and ‘Griva’ meaning ‘neck.’ This is the horse- necked avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu. Hayagriva is a lesser-known incarnation, but none the less, he is an important deity in the Vaishnava tradition and is worshipped as the bestower of knowledge and wisdom and the Guru of Goddess Saraswati.
Parvati is the divine Shakti, the supreme Goddess of power. She is the consort of Lord Shiva, the regenerator of the universe and its beings. She is one among the three supreme Goddesses of the Hindu pantheon and is worshipped as the universal mother. She is believed to possess many characteristics and features and is also called Urvi, the divinity of fertility, devotion, and love.
Satyanarayana Pooja is highly popular worship dedicated to Lord Narayana. People from many parts of the country undertake this special worship for propitiating the Lord and seeking his mercy and blessings. Narayana is none other than Vishnu, the supreme God of protection, while Satya is Dharma or truth. Satyanarayana is an extremely benevolent form of the Lord, who can be easily pleased by sincere devotion and it is believed that his grace can fill a life with immense blessings.
Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth, prosperity and fortune. She is one of the Tridevis, the holy trinity of Goddesses and the consort of Lord Vishnu, the supreme God of protection. Lakshmi worship is done with a lot of faith by the people, and it is a firm belief that this can fill their lives with many riches.
Planetary pooja is a means of offering respect and worship to the 9 planets, asking them to bless us with our wishes in return. The planetary poojas are effective in communicating your desire to be in tune with the planets. These poojas will include offerings to both the planet, and its overlord.
Runa Vimochana Pooja - An Effective Remedy to Wipe Out your Debts Why Runa Vimochana Pooja According to the ancient Siddhas, debts are of three types. They are routed to your life through money borrowed for: Spending more than what you could afford to earn or pay Balancing the losses through natural disasters like business losses or market recessions Gambling, drinking or illegitimate relationships
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