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What
is Pooja?
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Pooja is the act of showing
reverence to a god, a spirit, or another aspect of the divine through
invocations, prayers, songs, and rituals. An essential part of Pooja for
the Hindu devotee is making a spiritual connection with the divine. Most
often that contact is facilitated through an object: an element of
nature, a sculpture, a vessel, a painting, or a print. It is possible to
reduce the suffering due to the unfavorable position of planets through
sincere reliance on God, the One who controls the planets.
During Pooja an image or other
symbol of the god serves as a means of gaining access to the divine.
This icon is not the deity itself; rather, it is believed to be
filled with the deity's cosmic energy. It is a focal point for
honoring and communicating with the god. |
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For the devout Hindu, the
icon's artistic merit is important, but is secondary to its spiritual
content. The objects are created as receptacles for spiritual energy
that allow the devotee to experience direct communication with his or
her gods.
There are several Poojas which people can do for specific events, such
as the starting of a business, or the beginning of a journey. The
benefit of this type of Pooja is to remove obstacles. The Poojas are
performed on behalf of those who request them by us.
Benefits of a Pooja
According to our sacred texts,
Pooja -
Pooja establishes a bridge
between the worshipper (the lover) and the deity (the loved). It
facilitates flow of love-energy in both ways. This energy not only
sanctifies the self but also re-vitalizes the body's resources, making
one experience, what is called HOLY BLISS. Thus both the worshipped and
the worshipper benefit from Pooja.
How Pooja is Performed?
A worshipper is required to be pure of body and mind. The Puranas lay
more stress on the quality of devotion and good behaviour than on rigid
Pooja procedures. Pooja originated as a substitute to homa and other
Vedic sacrifices which women and Shudras could not perform and which
required animal sacrifices. Due to Dravidian, Buddhist and
Jain influences that preached non-violence, the killing or sacrifice of
animals was discontinued and with the development of iconography, idol
worship and Pooja took the place of sacrifice. It was also recognized
that worship was essential for all, whatever the gender or caste and therefore Pooja
was formalized as a universal option.
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