Most of the Hindus perform pooja religiously one or twice a day. The other pooja are performed on some special occasions. The Hindus are the worshipper of odols and they offer pooja to the respected Gods and Goddesses of their choice. Pooja is offered in a sacred manner usually after having bath and with washed clothes. The pooja is usually peeformed before having food. Pooja is a daily ritual for the Hindus. The pooja involves the performance of an elaborate ritual. This ritual of Puja is followed in every Hindu houses. In the Hindu temples more elaborate ritual is followed. The pooja rituals play a great part in creating and setting up the ambiance for spiritual forces in and around us. The pooja requires a number of special Pooja items all of which has a special role in the ritual of Pooja and has its own significance.
Some of the important pooja items are:
- Idols and Sculptures
- Sacred Red
- Brass Diyas
- Incense Sticks and Holders
- Akshat/Rice Grains
- Hand Spun Flower
- Panchpatra & Pali
- Rudrakshas
- Coconut
- Haldi
- Janeu/Janou
- Dry Fruits
- Shankha
- Dakshinavarti
- Saligrama
- Rudrakshas
Pooja is perfumed in a much elaborate manner on special occasions like,
- Durga Puja
- Lakshmi Puja
- Saraswati Puja
- Kali Puja
- Shiva Ratri Broto
- Narayana Puja
- Ganesh Puja
- Monosha Puja
- Homam
- Satyanarayana Puja
The pooja is a ritual of worshipping a deity and is a holy ceremony. A Priest who is known as pundit conducts the elaborate ritual of Pooja. The household members themselves usually perform the daily worship to God. Pooja involves the use of several Puja items and related with devotion and religious fervor.
Rudrakshas is one of the most important pooja items. The mening of Rudraksha is “Eyes of Shiva”. Rudrakshas symbolize the mystical, spiritual and medicinal powers. The Rudrakshas is believed to enhance the well being of the wearer. It is believed that the person who wears Rudrakshas can remain untouched by impious thoughts, sins, and deeds. The beads of the Rudrakshas contain mukhi or faces and the powers of Rudraksha depend on the faces of the Rudrakshas. The faces of Rudrakshas can range from one to thirty-eight. The most common form of Rudrakshas is five faced Rudrakshas. The rarest Rudraksha is the one-faced Rudraksha. The Rudrakshas are available in following four tinges like, fair, dark brown, light brown, and black. The word Rudraksha finds its origin in the Sanskrit words "Rudra" and "Aksha" which mean Lord Shiva and Teardrops respectively.
The different forms of pooja items play a singnificant role in the different steps of pooja. The Rudrakshas play a prominent role in pooja and an integral part of pooja items.
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