Puja, also known as Hindu devotion, involves the use of mages/statues of Hindu gods (called murtis), prayers (called mantras), and diagrams of the cosmos (yantras).
The image, also known as the icon, is an essential component of the Hindu religion and can be venerated in either a private setting or in a public temple.
Offerings of flowers, plants, and fruit are placed all around the statue of Ganesh, the Hindu god with the elephant head.
A personal temple dedicated to Ganesh rather than a communal one
Personal sacrifices to a deity are an integral part of Hinduism’s concept of worship, which emphasizes the individual’s role in the religion more than the community’s.
Mantras and the names of the worshippers’ preferred gods and goddesses are both chanted by those who attend religious services. God is appeased through offerings of water, fruit, flowers, and incense.
Private worship in one’s own house
The majority of Hindu families keep a shrine in their house, where they make offerings and worship to their deities.
A shrine can take the form of anything, including a room, a modest altar, or even just photos or figurines of the deity being honored.
Members of the same family frequently worship together. In a strict sense, rituals should be carried out on the hour, the midday, and the night. Worship is performed by certain Hindus, but not all of them while wearing the sacred thread (over the left shoulder and hanging to the right hip). Cotton is reserved for Brahmins, while hemp and wool are worn by Kshatriyas and vaishyas, respectively (merchants).
Women and children from India make their way up the stairs of a temple.
Attending a celebration at the temple while it was open
When visiting a Hindu temple, you’ll notice that several areas of the structure have their own unique spiritual or symbolic significance.
The heart of the worshipper can be found in the central shrine.
The tower is meant to symbolize the ascension of the spirit to heaven.
The Vedas may be read aloud or more commonly recited to the congregation of worshippers by a priest, but the reading of prayers and mantras can be done by any “twice-born” Hindu.
The religious rites practiced by Hindus can be divided into three categories:
Daily Nitya Nitya rituals include making offerings at the home shrine or performing puja to the family deities. These rituals are part of the Nitya Nitya tradition.
Naimittika
The Naimittika rites are significant, but they are only performed at particular periods of the year, such as at the celebrations of the many festivals, the times of offering thanks, and so on.
Kamya Kamya is a ritual that is technically “optional,” yet they are very much desired. One such activity is called a pilgrimage.
Worship and travel to holy sites
The act of making a pilgrimage is significant in Hinduism. To both observe and be observed by the deity is a challenging endeavor.
On the banks of the Ganges in Calcutta, India, ladies make an offering to the god Shiva.
On the Ganges, Indian ladies perform rituals honoring Shiva.
Rivers are among the most popular destinations for pilgrimages, although temples, mountains, and other sacred sites in India are also destinations for pilgrimages. These locations are revered as places where the gods may have made their first appearance or become apparent in the world.
Kumbh Mela
At the Kumbh Mela celebration, which takes place in Allahabad at the confluence of the Ganges and the Jumna rivers once every 12 years, up to 10 million people participate in religious bathing rituals.
Hindus from all walks of life congregate there for the purpose of engaging in ceremonial washing in the hope that doing so will cleanse them of their sins.
After the ritual bathing, spiritual cleansing and a ceremony are performed, both of which are intended to earn the favor of the deity.
River Ganges
The Ganges is considered by Hindus to be the holiest of all rivers.
Varanasi
This city, which is also known as Benares, is one of the most prominent pilgrimage centers because of its location on the Ganges and its proximity to the river.
It is claimed to be the home of Lord Shiva, the god of fire and destruction, and it is said to be the location where Lord Shiva’s blazing light broke through the ground to reach the heavens.
It is believed that a person who passes away in Varanasi and has their ashes strewn on the Ganges has had the most blessed and peaceful passing that is humanly conceivable.
