Ramanisblog

Tag: Kumkum

  • How To Light A Lamp Why

    It is the practice of Hindu house holds to light a Lamp at Dawn and Dusk.

     

    Light illumines.

    Lighting a Lamp. the Hindu way.Image.jpg.
    Lighting a Lamp.

     

    Our Ignorance prevents us from realizing that we a part of the Reality , we believe and trust that we are the body(Dehatma Buddhi), identify ourselves

     

    with things that are temporary,get entangled in world affairs unnecessarily, become miserable forgetting that we a part of the Supreme Realty, The

     

    Brahman ,whose Nature is being, Consciousness and Bliss.

     

    When the Light of knowledge dawns to dispel away the  Darkness, as the Lighting of a lamp does away with Darkness, we realize our true Nature.

     

    To symbolize this we light a  lamp with wicks.

     

    The lamp should be lit both at dawn and dusk.

     

    Preferable that a Lamp with five faces are used and all the five wicks are lit.

     

    A lamp with a single wick should be used.

     

    The wick should be made of cotton,

     

    Of late I have noticed the tendency of lighting two wicks.

     

    This is not the tradition.

     

    Generally lighting or doing anything in even number is considered inauspicious.

     

    Two always denotes conflict and resultant choice making makes life difficult.

     

    Where as One signifies the ultimate Reality Brahman and Five, the Panchabutas nad Five Tanmatras.

     

    If a single wick is lit, it should face either the East or North.

     

    The Lamp should be adorned with Kumkum and Sandalwood paste.

     

    A flower may be kept at the base of the Lamp.

     

    The practice of keeping the flower at the top of Lamp is not recommended as it is likely to wither because of Heat.

     

    Generally Gingelly oil is to be used.

     

    Use of other oils  or other oils Ghee on daily basis is not recommended.

     

    Using Ghee rewards less than Gingelly oil.

     

    As to using other oils like a combination of five oils is a later pa practice .

     

    The light may be it by the lady of the house.

     

    Lighting by candle or by a Man is not recommended.

     

    Only the head of the house  Gruhalakshmi should light the lamp.

     

    The lamp must be lit after taking  bath, if there was  Physical contact between husband and wife.

     

    Otherwise it can be lit after washing teeth and face .

     

    The following Mantra is to be recited.

     

    Whilst lighting the lamp we thus pray:
    Deepajyothi parabrahma
    Deepa sarva tamopahaha
    Deepena saadhyate saram
    Sandhyaa deepo namostute

    I prostrate to the dawn/dusk lamp; whose light is the Knowledge Principle (the
    Supreme Lord), which removes the darkness of ignorance and by which all can be
    achieved in life.

     

    Afte daily pooja is completed, the lamp may be doused with  a piece of Flower dipped in milk, after applying Kumkum to the Lamp.

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  • Wedding Other Function Invites Hindu Style.

    Weddingis one of the most revered and important Customs in India, especially among the Hindus.

    The procedures are elaborate, needs careful planning.

    A typical Hindu Brahmin Marriage consists of, aside from seeing the bride to be, Betrothal, it has

    Sumangali Prarthanai (read my post on this) when the departed Women who died leaving their Husbands behind are worshiped.

    This is followed by Samaradhanai (Dahdhiyaaradhanai), th offering of Puja to the Family Deity.

    Only after these are completed, Marriage ceremonies take place.

    One of the important duties is the Inviting people for the Marriage.

    Till about some years back, some twenty years,two different types of Invitations were printed now I think three,one formal/traditonal.one each by the Bride and by the Bridegroom.

    The traditional invitation is meant for close relatives,the other one with Modern type which will be distributed to others,either by the parents or by the Bride or Bridegroom.

    It was the practice to post the invitations to people who are staying elsewhere.

    This has to be followed by a personal letter(hand written) inviting people individually, to attend the Function.

    It was also the practice to reimburse their travel expenses incurred for attending the Function.

    For those who are located in the same city, the Invitation is not be posted.

    It has to be delivered by hand by the Parents in person with Kumkum, Akshata, Fruits and wherever required new clothes are to be handed over .

    This process is backed up by a Telephonic reminder a week before the marriage.

    To some, this entire process might seem funny.

    But there are /were Families which do/did not remain on speaking terms for years together on a single misstep in this procedure..

    Now how does one decide whom to call one while sending Invitations?

    Close relatives, like Uncles, Aunts, First Cousins,In Laws of Daughter or Son can not be avoided, whatever be the circumstances.

    For the others, and even to these essential people, if one wants to avoid them, there are always methods of inviting and at the same remain not inviting!

    Let me explain.

    I have a close friend of 43 years standing and I went personally with my wife to invite him.

    He came and graced the occasion.

    this friend of mine was introduced to me by his elder brother,

    Hindu Marriage.
    Hindu Marriage.

    Some how my friend and my friend remain very close and not his brother.

    So after the function was over my friend asked me why I had not invited his elder brother who introduced him tome.

    My reply was that , I send invitations to people whose name occur to me spontaneously with out elaborate scratching of the head;others, I said, were not worth remembering and hence no invites, thought there is no animosity.

    So there are three types of Inviting for a Function, I explained to him.

    The First , you follow the procedure I explained already. by visiting  personally and following up.

    The second is the trickiest, inviting them yet not inviting them.

    Call them couple of Days before the Function making sure that they would not get reservation for transport and at a time most inconvenient to them.

    They would not come.

    Well if some one comes despite this, Bad Luck.

    The third is not inviting them at all.

    Note: Beware people who say, I do not care for Formality, Do not bother”

    These are the people who care the most about proper procedure for inviting them for a Function.

    But me, I expect Formality and personal Invites.

    For Formality is the new name for Respect and Courtesy, let us be clear.

    PS. I am given the short shrift by others much the same way I do to others!

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