Tag: Hindu tradition

Scorch

October 19, 2021

“Holding on to anger is like grasping hot charcoal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; You are the one who gets burned” Buddha

What is Scorch?

Simply put scorch is the discolouration caused by heat.

It can also mean- raging everything in sight.

Hindu Tradition

The above photo is taken in a religious place.

If you notice in the above image, charcoal is burnt in a portable goldsmith’s furnace (Brazier).

Brazier is a metal container in which charcoal is burnt.

The metal container is a coal cooking stove made up of iron.

It’s known by the name ‘Kumpati’ or ‘Kummati adupu’ in South India.

Charcoal is used as a medium to cook food.

As modernisation set in, this practice is limited to temples and religious places.

One can come across this practice still in the villages.

“Whatever you do, make it an offering to me – the food you eat, the sacrifices you make, the help you give, even your sufferings” Lord Krishna (Bhagavad Gita)

Naivedhya

It’s common practice in Hindu Dharma to offer food to deities during rituals or pooja at home or in temples.

The offerings include samples of cooked food (vegetarian), or fruits or jaggery/sugarcane, honey or milk.

Tasting or eating the food before offering it to God is strictly prohibited.

Food prepared by using charcoal or wood is offered as NAIVEDHYA to God. Naivedhya is an expression of Gratitude.

Thanksgiving to God.

Offering Naivedhya is the last step in puja (‘Puja’ is an act of worship)

Naivedhya offered while chanting slokas along with the rituals.

Once the prayer is over, the food is considered as having been blessed by God and officially is sanctified as Prasad.

Does God eat the offerings?

If God starts eating the offerings, people may stop offering!

Jokes apart let us try to reason it.

We know that food sustains all the living creatures in this world.

Whether God eats the food or not… is not the question but the real question is whether you offered food with love and devotion expressing your gratitude to God (for the food he offered to you to live in this world).

My friend, Lord doesn’t need our food.

Prasad or Prasadam

So the food that is first offered to God is Naivedhya which becomes Prasad afterwards since it’s received from God.

When Naivedhya is partaken as Prasad, it’s said we benefit from the energy of the deity in it.

Prasad carries the vibes of God’s grace.

Prasad is consumed by the attending devotees as a holy offering.

Prasad can’t be thrown away or wasted.

Thank you for visiting my site and taking your time to read.

Take care, my friend.

Namaste 🙏🙏🙏

Philosophy Through Photography

You can check my other similar posts HERE

This post is part of

Ragtag Daily Prompt- SCORCH

Becky.B’s PAST SQUARES (Bright Squares) photo challenge

Silent Sunday

May 30, 2021

“Buddy, Aims in the life are not low hanging fruits. They are like coconuts” @writings

✔Mango is the national fruit of India.

✔Hindus consider mango as an auspicious tree.

✔Hindu festivals and auspicious occasions are marked with the tying of mango leaves in front of their main entrances. Called Toran, this mango leaf garland is believed to invite health and prosperity into the home.

✔Mango leaves are used in Hindu marriages in plenty. They find a place right from decoration to puja and rituals. It is believed that they possess the power to bless the couple with good children bearing capacity.

Source-aanigo.com

Thank you.

Namaste 🙏🙏🙏

Philosophy Through Photography

Bangles

October 24, 2018

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Although Bangles are worn for style all over the world,the

ornament hold special significance in Hinduism.

It is almost similar to the ‘Wedding Ring” in the Western

Culture.

For Hindu Women Bangles are of Sentimental value,symbol of good

luck.

A Hindu Woman is deemed incomplete without this,so much so even

the poorest of the poor wear some form of Bangles.

Thus Bangle Industry is making a kill with Designer Wear etc.

If bangle breaks it is considered as bad omen.

Hindu Festival is incomplete without women wearing the bangles.

The only time married women remove bangle is either at labor or

when she is widowed.

IS Narasimhar1906 pixabay

Head Gear

September 23, 2018

Helmet,Head protection,Head gear,Head injuries,Flower,

No..No… I am not talking about the Helmet, that the Indian Lady is wearing while riding the two wheeler and the lessons regarding advantages of wearing helmet etc. etc

If you look a bit closely…you notice that the woman is wearing tightly knit jasmine flowers

why the Indian women,especially those from South India wear the flowers on their hair without fail, everyday?

One Mr. Ramdoss in ‘Yahoo Answers’ got annoyed for this question and replied like this.

‘This is a tradition in India. Just like this there are social and fashion traditions in other parts of the world also. Why don’t you question them? Why does a man wear a tie in front, not at the backside? Stupid question, is it not ? It is stupid to ask a woman in India why she wears flowers. It is stupid to ask a widow in India why she does not wear flowers or wear a red spot on her forehead. This way you can go on questioning every custom all over the world. Why do you question the customs and practices of India alone. When the other parts of the world were cavemen, India had a great civilization working’.

But I felt it would have been proper for him to explain the importance/significance/purpose of Indian women wearing flowers on their hair so that people from other Cultures/Backgrounds can appreciate the explanation given.

Every morning, the women religiously put on the flower strands on their head after a bath. These flower strands definitely make the women look beautiful (For Indians atleast, I don’t know how the westerners feel about wearing flower on the hair).

Flowers are a symbol of love, good luck, happiness and prosperity.

In Indian household , a girl is supposed to wear flowers on her hair because it brings happiness to the family and prosperity to all the members.

Wearing flowers on the hair is the symbol that Goddess Lakshmi ( Goddess of Wealth ) is residing in the house and that wealth will never leave the house.

Jasmine ,Rose and Hibiscus are common ,jasmine being the favorite.

Please enrich me further if such things are seen in the western world and if it is so…what is the idea of wearing the flowers on hair, from westerners point of view ?

Thanks in advance for sharing your views.

Donkey Worship

May 5, 2018

Donkey Worship

Usually the words ‘Donkey” “Ass” are used in a derogatory way ( Dumb ass,Jackass etc meaning people who are stupid or of very low intelligence ), even parading the donkeys during the times of Protests ( i don’t know about other countries but in India, it is a common occurrence). May be a kind of public humiliation.I do not know why should Donkey be referred as a stupid creature,when it is said to be an intelligent creature. I think it is the usual dominant human trait to do injustice to the donkey .

The other day I was surprised to come across a hung photo frame of two donkeys with Flower Garland, at the entrance point in one of the shops.The flower indicates that Donkey is being worshiped ,daily.The local language in the photo mentions that ” Have a look at the Donkeys…. and Good fortune follows ” So I realized it is a good Omen to see Donkey face in the morning before one ventures into the routine tasks.So I was glad Donkeys are given due respect,they deserve.

As I googled I learnt a new term ONOLATRY which means Donkey worshiping,used in ancient times.

I learnt that ‘Sheetala Ashtami’ (March-April) celebrated in Rajasthan ( North Indian State) when woman folks worship the Donkey,for well being of children and people.Goddess Sheetala is said to be Goddess of Smallpox and Goddess Sheetala’s Photo frame along with a broom and water filled pot are kept on the Donkey.Why the Donkey is chosen for this purpose…I am not sure.May be friends from Rajasthan can enrich us with better understanding