Benefits of performing Abishekas

Various types of Abishekam

Abhishekam is the ancient sacred Hindu custom of bathing a deity in water, milk, honey, ghee, fruit juice and other liquids. This resulting mixture is intended to be served as prasadam to the devotees who offer their prayers. The pouring of these liquids symbolizes the pouring of a devotee’s purest love for God.  Performing this ceremony, with a pure mind, faith and conviction, results in washing away of sins, and purification of the devotee’s own heart and mind.  Generation after generation, millions of Hindus continue to perform abhishekam to this very day.

But Atheists may raise many questions like over this ritual.  Why is necessary?  Aren’t we just wasting food? 

We get the answer from Sudha Aditya in "The Inner Journey" compares this act to a mother caring for her child:

Take a mother and her child, for example. The mother loves her child dearly and she spares no effort to please it. She cooks the child’s favourite dishes, dresses it in fine clothes and does everything in her power to make the child happy and feel loved and cared for.  The mother never thinks that her is wasting her money, time or effort.

Similarly, the abhishekam is an offering to God and should not be viewed as a waste of materials, effort or time.  In fact, Sudha Aditya goes on to say:

…what we are offering Him by way of abhishekam is actually an minuscule part of what He gives us. We are merely giving Him what already belongs to Him.

As we move into the ritual, the puranic(ancient) vedhas had left evidences that each form of Abhishekam has a definite purpose and devotees are blessed accordingly as stated below:

One who performs abhishekam using:

• Mangoes will be gifted with Victory ever
• Panchamirth will be gifted with Prosperity
• Tender coconut water will be gifted with Good position
• Vibhudhi(Ash) will be gifted with Goodness
• Sandal will be gifted with Highest post
• Paneer(Rose water) will be gifted with Happiness
• Milk will be gifted with Long life
• Sesame oil will be gifted with Relief from viral disease
• Lemon will be gifted with overcome fear of death
• Bananas will be gifted with full Granary
• Curd will be gifted with Flourish with generations
• Honey will be gifted with Good health
• Jaggery will be gifted with Relief from grieve
• Sugar will be gifted with Overcome enemies
• Food will be gifted with All wealth and health
• Water will be gifted with Peace

The rituals and custom we observe and perform are carried out through generations just not for the religious sake but as the chanting of "OM" creates wonders each of these rituals have been carefully meant to its value and the perfect way of carrying forward it with full faith and dedication results only in peace for everyone on all worldly matters.

Deiveekam

1. Lighting ghee lamp on Pankuni Uthirm for Lord Muruga wipes out one's miseries and fulfills all the desires.
2. When you visit the temple, no need to make namaskaram on all the shrines within it. Do namaskaram only near the Dwajasthambam facing the main deity from your left as thats the one accepted custom.
3. Doing 108 adipradatchanam(going around the diety in feet by feet) around Lord Ganapathy on Chathurthi that falls on Monday along with Pournami(poonam) is very auspicious and fulfills our desire very soon.
4. What is Duvajaprasadam? This is the prasad offered to dieties in duvajasthambam on the start of utshava in the temple.
5. Buying salt on diwali is auspicious as it is said that Goddess Lakshmi resides in salt
6. In susheendhram temple,Tamilnadu Ganapathi can be seen sitting on two mounts(mouse) and is blue in colour.
7. Reciting 108 namas of God ten times constitutes a sahasranaama (glorifying the Lord a thousand times). Reciting three times would constitute a trisathi (glorifying the Lord three hundred times).
8. Paying respect to Lord Muruga by chanting 'Om Saravana Bava' and visiting Muruga temple on pradma of Amavasya is very auspicious. It is equivalent to visiting all dieties temple at the same time.
9. Kaal Bairav is considered to be the last incarnation of Lord shiva. So in all Shiva temples Kaal Bairav is given the last Aarti.
10. Shirdi Sai Baba is believed to be born on Vijaya Dasami - the ninth day of Navrathri and is celebrated throughout the world as Puniyathithi by Sai devotees. On this day chanting Shirdi Sai Sahasranama is considered to be very auspicious.

Gokulashtami Special

On the birthday of the Paramathma Sri Krishna, I am herewith something about the Almighty.

1. Do you know the siblings of Krishna born before Him to Vasudev and Devaki ? They were Smaran, Uthgeetha, Pareeshvanga, Pathanga, Kshoothrapiruth, Kiruni. The six who were children of Mareeshi, Oornanai were cursed by Lord Brahma to be born to Vasudev and Devaki and be killed by Kamsha. The seventh one is Balram who was later placed in Rukmani's womb.
2. Of Lord Krishna's children, 18 of them were famous for their humanity deeds. They were Prathyumna, Aniruth, Deepthimaan, Baanu, Saamban, Madhu, Pruhathbaanu, Chitrabaanu, Virugan, Arunan, oPushkaran, Vedhabaahu, Sruthadevan, Sunandanan, Chitrabaahu, Viruban, Kavi, Niyakrothan.
3. Those who perform true prayer to Balakrishna will also be blessed by Lord Guber - the God of wealth as once Krishna had removed the curse on Guber's two children who were trees to resume their real form. So being grateful to Lord Krishna, Lord Guber blesses all the devotees of Sri Balakrishna with all the wealth.

Do you Know? Leaves to light the lamp

Sundara Mahalingeshwara temple of Sathuragiri hill in Virudungar of Tamilnadu is a very ancient temple. In this temple the holy tree is called as 'Jothi Vrutcham'. The leaves of this tree is used as thread instead of cotton to light oil lamps. They can staend to give light for atleast 15 hrs.

Speciality of all Thithi

The thithi that comes on every month has an individual speciality.

• Pradama - Telugu new year
• Thvithiyay - Kedari Bojanam
• Thiruthiyay - Akshaya Thiruthithyay
• Chathurthi - Ganesha Chathurthi
• Panchami - Vasantha Panchami
• Shasti - Skanda shasti
• Sabthami - Ratha sabthami
• Ashtami - Krishnaashtami
• Navami - Rama navami
• Dasami - Vijayadasami
• Ekadesi - Vaikunda ekadesi
• Duvadasi - Vamana duvadasi
• Thirayodasi - Danaththirayodasi
• Chathurdasi - Naraga Chathurdasi
• Amavasya - Deepavali
• Pournami - Thiru Kaarthigai

Pachapandava's Vishnu sthal

From Ernakulam of Kerala in a 100 meters distance is Thiruchitraru an abode of Lord Vishnu. This place is very special as the idol here belongs to Yudhishtra ( dharma), the eldest of Pandavas. It is said that after the Mahabaratha war, the Pandavas started their voyage to pilgrims. At that time each built a temple with their own idol to which they had done puja all those days. Thirichitraru temple of Vishnu is one built by Yudhistra. The temple pond is named after conch and is called as 'sanku theertham'.

Nearby are the temples of other Pandavas:

• Thirupuliyur - By Bheem
• Aaranmulla - By Arjun
• Tiruvanvandoor - By Nakulan
• Thirukodithaanam - By Sakadev

These temples belong to 108 divya desam sthals of Lord Vishnu.

Religious News

1. Othimalai, a small hill of 1500 steps in Anur near Coimabtore of Tamilnadu is an abode of Lord Muruga with 5 faces and 8 arms. The mount Peacock also accompanies the diety.
2. Doing Pooja to Goddess Durga in Raagu time is very good inorder to get anugraha(blessings) of Lord Raagu.
3. Doing pooja to Chitragupt in Yamakanta is very good inorder to get anugraha(blessings) of Lord Kethu.
4. Lord Muruga in Linga rup(form) can be seen in Lord Iyyappa temple of Hubli, Karnataka. Here the deity is worshipped as Lord Subramanya.
5. Sree Thiyagarajar temple of Tiruvavoor in Tamilnadu ages back to 1000 years. The temple is adored with 9 Raaja gopuras, 80 vimanas and 13 halls.

Religious news

1. “Kaancha mandir” in Indore is a Jain temple. The speciality of this temple is that it is fully made of glass from floor to roof and highlight is the diety idol is also made of glass.
2. The richest temple of India is Tirumala Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh. The annual income of this temple is 275 crores. The temple is an abode of Lord Venkateswara, an incarnation of Lord MahaVishnu. Every day the temple is attended by 45 thousand devotees. 31 educational institutions are administered under this temple trust. 25 thousand employees are working for this temple.

Religious News

1. Due to a devotee’s request Bavani Maa , Goddess of Sakthi has coined herself as Salwan Devi and has got a temple at Sri konda town in Maharashtra’s Ahmed Nagar. Dasara Festival is very special during Navarathri eve.
2. When you place beetle leaves for puja, remove its stem as it’s an abode of Darddevi(Moodevi).
   If Seetha devi is to the right of Sri Rama then such a darshan is said to be thiru Kalalyan Darshan.
3. If Seetha sevi is to the left of Sri Rama then such a darshan is said to be Pattabishek Darshan.
4. When doing archana in temples it’s good to do on your name itself than on God’s name as a sentence “ sagala paaba peeda parikaartham” in the sloka that the pujari chants is meant for human beings only.

Religious News

*~*~* Sleeping hanuman temple is in Havulthabadh near Aurangabadh in Maharshtra. The temple ia an abode of Badra marutidue to the reues of the king Badrasena.The temple is made of Marble.
*~*~*Hundred years old Sivasubramaniya swamy temple has been authorised as the naional symbol of south Africa.
*~*~* Kayilai Nathar temple of Kanchi is built with sand stones.

Religious news

*~*~* 5th day of Navarathiri is celebrated as lalitha panjami. It is also observed as a fasting day as it is the birthday of Lalithambigai. Chanting the namavali of Lalithambigai on Navarathiri days courage, tolerance, wisdom will be blessed.

*~*~* 'Adithya hruthayam' is written by Agathiya sage to be sung for Lord surya Bagvan. Similarly 'Sri kandha kala sththi' written by Sage kalidasa is sung for Lord Chandr Bagvan.

*~*~* Temple for Goddess Poodevi or Boomidevi is located near Trishur on the way to Thirupaiyaru at a distance of 15 kms.

Religious News

*~*~* Once in 12 years Ravan’s Lingam in kokarnam is taken out for Abishek and pooja.

*~*~* Everyone knows about Sundarban forest near Kolkatta. The forest is noted for beauty as per its name. The forest department of west Bengal takes in charge of tourism activities by taking tourists to there till a place called “View Point”. The place beyond this point is restricted for tourists due to the existence of wild animals like lion, tiger etc.,
From “View Point”, many small islands, meeting points of rivers and lakes to sea can be viewed clearly. Each of the islands here has a temple as its entrance where, the main deity is Devi durga seated on tiger and worshipped by the name ‘Datchinrai’, ‘Sanarai’, ‘Vanadevi’. The tribes worship these deity before they leave to cut the trees, and hunt for honey with a belief that the deity will safe them from wild animals.

*~*~* When India was under British rule, Robert Claive attended the Garud Seva of Lord Varadaraja Perumal in kanchipuram. Getting dipped in divine spirit, he took of the expensive pearl necklace off his wife’s neck and offered to Lord Almighty. Even today the jewel adorns the Lord in the name of ‘Claive Makarakandi’

*~*~* Names of Pandava’s conch:
Dharma – ananda vijayam
Beem – Poundram
Arjun – Devathatham
Nagulan - Sugosham
Sagadevan – Manipushpagam