Accessories
There are certain accessories or products which become a part and
parcel of any religious ceremony. Some of the accessories used for
religious purposes are as follows :Cow Dung
One of the few nectars of this earth is water, another is milk and the third one is cow dung. It is said that in Hindu culture, there are 16 religious "Sanskar" (rituals) starting from birth to death and not a single of these rituals can be performed without cow dung. Cow dung is essential to attain or provide purity to the mind, to the surroundings or environment, to the mental status and to the ingredients which are utilized at the time of performing any religious ritual. The place where the religious ritual is performed is always cleaned and made pure by coating it with a layer of cow dung. The fire for Havan is lit with cow dung cakes, sandalwood, gugal, etc to provide fragrance and cleanse the surrounding environment and this is not possible to do this on fire lit with kerosene or gas or electric stove. Again while performing any religious ritual, for purification of mind and heart, one has to consume what is known as "Pancha Gavya" (a mixture of cow milk, curd, ghee, dung and urine in defined ratios). This mixture is believed to keep mind and heart pure and peaceful.
Wood slippers/Khadau
Khadau is a type of wooden slipper in the shape of a flat wooden base with a toe hold sticking out. Khadau was traditionally considered to be the slipper of Lord Ram, known as "Charan Paduka" and hence can also be kept in pooja room as a symbol of god's feet. These khadaus symbolize God's presence and daily worship of these slippers help to maintain piety in life and house. These slippers are also worn by priests and Brahmins, in temple or other religious places, but once worn these are not suitable for pooja purposes. In that case, a person should use a different pair for puja purposes. Nowadays, besides the wooden padukas, various other materials like precious metal, wood mixed with metal are used to make khadaus with intricate carvings and these are solely kept in the pooja room for worshipping.
Prayer Mat/Asana
A prayer mat is used as a "Asana" or seat while performing pooja in temple or your worship. A prayer mat is made of various materials like cotton, wool, muslin, bamboo etc. A prayer mat is usually square shaped and is available in various sizes. It can be plain or striped or printed, usually with various symbols of God. This mat is solely to be used for religious purposes. A traditional type of prayer mat is the one made with grass and is called "Kush Asana". It is said that "Kush Asana" allows the yogi to maintain that serene state of mind without being affected by the adversity of the environment surrounding him.
Panchang/Hindu Calendar
A day in Hindu traditions has five "angas" or parts and that is why it is called a "Panchang". The five parts of a "Panchang" are:
- Tithi active at sunrise : The angular distance between the sun and moon is measured from the earth along the elliptic circle and it can vary between 0 degree and 360 degrees. This is divided into 30 parts and each part ends in multiples of 12 like 12 degrees, 24 degrees etc. The time spent by the moon in each of these parts is called one Tithi.
- Vaasara or Weekday : In common language "Vaasara" is replaced by "Vaara" and are : Ravivaara (Sunday), Somvaara (Monday), Mangalvaara (Tuesday), Budhavaara (Wednesday), Guruvaara (Thursday), Shukravaara (Friday) and Shanivaara (Saturday).
- Nakshatra in which the moon resides at sunrise : The eclipticis divided into 27 parts or lunar houses. The moon resides in them by turn. So the lunar house inhabited by the Moon at the time of sunrise is called the Nakshatra of the day. The starting part of the ecliptic is called "Meshadi" and the rest of the constellations are divided eastwards from here.
- Yoga active at sunrise : The angular distance along the ecliptic of any object on the sky, measured from Meshadi is called the longitude of that object. When the longitude of the sun and the longitude of the moon are added, they produce a value ranging from 0° to 360°. Then this is divided into 27 parts. These parts are called the yogas. There are 27 yogas.
- Karana active at sunrise : It is half of a "Tithi" . A karana is the time required for the angular distance between the sun and the moon to increase in steps of 6° starting from 0°.
Ganga Water
Ganga water is deeply associated with the life of every Indian. For an Indian, the Ganga water is holy and is important for all occasions. It is said that the river Ganga is a bridge from the Heaven to the Earth and anyone who bathes in the river or is cremated by its banks is released from the cycle of rebirths. The reference to the Ganga in all our religious texts like The Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata and the Ramayana reflects her importance in our lives. Whether it is birth or marriage or death or any religious occasion or any pooja, the Ganga water is always required. Though, Gangotri is the point of origin of this sacred river, but the holy Ganga water is available in various parts of India. Haridwar is one of the most prominent religious places visited by thousands of devotees to take a dip in the holy river.
Ganga water is also packed into small plastic cans and bottles for the convenience of the devotees.
Milk, Curd & Ghee
Like cow dung and Ganga water, milk is another essential product used for all religious practices and pooja. Milk is also used in the form of curd and ghee. It is worth mentioning that divas (lamps) are lit using ghee. Milk is used to wash idol's feet. In fact, Indians worship Lord Shiva by washing the "Shivlinga" with milk and water. No pooja is complete without "Panchamrit" - a mixture of milk, sugar, curd, ghee, honey and tulsi leaves and this is offered to the gods and then to the devotees. There is another mixture of cow milk, curd, ghee, dung and urine in defined ratios known as "Pancha Gavya" which is consumed by many while performing any religious ritual.