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Hindu Rituals

Rituals/Ceremonies are to assist us and make our life/events comfortable and enjoyable.
We should not become slaves to rituals. (Rituals are for US, not other way around).

With a long tradition of more than few thousand years ago, Hindu Rituals have evolved over time from Vedic, Shavism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism, Tantra and numerous folk/tribal traditions. Rituals vary depending on ones family, regional and traditional back ground. There is nothing like correct or wrong method. Rituals need not be elaborate or beyound your means.
Rituals will start losing relevance, if they donot evolve with lifestyle changes and technology. Individuals perform rituals or traditional actions due to fear of the unknown, or correcting something which they know nothing about. Many feel comfortable and secure when following established patterns or the actions. if everyone around follows them, they are perceived as correct by default.
Revising rituals to maintain relevance in ever changing world involves simplifying them, or modifying to suit life changes or adopting new dietary preferences. In the past strong and knowledgeable leaders like Ramanujacharya or Vallalar, have reformed many practices. Many reformers like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, and Dayananda Saraswati embraced flexibility, and fight against caste rigidity, superstitions, and practices such as sati and polygamy. They emphasized social service, universal spiritual principles, women's education and empowerment, opening schools for girls and supporting widows.
Let almighty give us the serenity to accept things we cannot change or need not change. Courage to change the things we can and required; and Wisdom to know the difference.

மந்திர தந்திரம் லௌகிகம்
ப்ரத்யக்ஷம் ஸுன்யப் பிரச்னம் விஜ்ஞானம்
சத்யம் தர்மம் அனந்தம் ப்ரஹ்மஸ்வருபம்
தண்டம் ப்ரணிதானம் போதிஸத்த்வம்
[Hymns/rituals/formalities are for worldly things. One can understand and know more about nature or reality, only by questioning and searching with open or empty mind. Openness or egoless state is the way for wisdom. Science is understanding nature and using that knowledge to make our living comfortable. Truth and Natural laws or Universal laws are the forms or views of ultimate reality or infinite force/power above us. Pranidhanat means surrender, letting go, devotion to almighty, which is the ultimate answer.
Learning is a Life Journey seeking TRUTH. Experience is more important than destination.

Pooja - Prayer

Prayer is a way to communicate with Super power or Supreme reality with in us. Reciting is talking to GOD, who is every where.
The way a pooja (or prayer ritual) is performed varies depending on ones family, regional and traditional back ground. Do a pooja as per ones capability and convenience (Yatha shakti). Pooja or Ritual can be as simple as lighting a lamp and say any prayer you like. You are free to make your ritual complex or simple. Doing it with faith is what really matters.
Believe - Trust - Have complete faith in God, then all your wounds will heal and pains shall go. But not in time framed by you but in time decided by GOD!
Relationship with God is not a business one: We do something for God, so God can do something for us

Namaha (नमः நம:) means "not mine," which is affixed to mantras as a means of expressing total dedication of oneself towards the Divine or to whomever the salutation is offered.
Tarpayami (तर्पयामि தர்ப்பயாமி) means I satisfy . Offering water, Sesame and Akshada (as a symbolic gesture).
Swaha (स्वाहा) is pronounced during fire sacrifices when offerings such as ghee, grains, or herbs are made to the deities. Swaha Devi is often associated with sacred fire and believed to convey the offerings directly to the Gods.
Swadha (स्वधा ஸ்வதா), is a term associated with the offerings made to ancestors (Pitris) during Shraddha ceremonies. Swadha Devi is the Goddess responsible for conveying offerings to the ancestors (Pitris) during Shraddha ceremonies.

Importance of Samskaras or Rituals

Rituals are a feature of all known human societies. Ancient Indians used rituals to resolve human problems. So, there was demand for ritual knowledge and priestly services. Ritual and spiritual practices are being merged to serve the material and spiritual aspirations of people. To reform scripture is to risk heresy. To leave it untouched is to loose relevance and make them useless.

Samskaras give a sense of belonging and cultural training. Some Samskaras have been developed from health view point for well being of members.

Are Rituals necessary evil? Over time they create problems. Although some may appear exploitative and corrupt, without them many feel they are lost and life is meaningless.
Rituals may become necessary evil, if taken to extremes or irrelevant and forced to do them under social pressures.

Gods, or deities or ancestors does not need our prayers or rituals. We need them for: satisfaction of emotional needs of the practitioners; strengthening of social bonds; obtaining social acceptance or approval; or just for the pleasure of the ritual itself.
Rituals are not universal, but may be similar. They are a feature of almost all known human societies, past or present and will continue in future.

Three debts

1) The first debt is to God and Natural elements.
2) The second debt is to the sages and saints, who have revealed truths in scriptures.
3) The third debt is to one’s ancestors, parents and teachers.

Rituals

Karmas (or rituals) to be performed daily is different for different people. The Karmas are broadly classified into five types as follows: 1) Nitya Karma – Daily Obligatory Duties
2) Naimittika Karma --Occasional Obligatory duties
3) Kamya Karma – Rites done to attain certain desired results
4) Prayaschitta Karma – Rites for expiation of mistakes or sins

Major Samskaras or rites to be performed on special occasions are:

Kaamya karmas refer to those rituals performed with a specific objective not on a daily or regular basis. Putrakameshti yaga for birth of a baby is a good example.

Prayaschitha Karma is one when one repents for his actions. Some are: Living quarters at a temple or holy place; Theertah yatra; Donating large part of wealth like penalty; and repairing the damage caused.

Yagnas and sacrifices

Vedic and some local tribes practiced various sacrifices, and some were known as Yagnas. Yagnas vary from the nature of offerings and the scale of functions. Many believe in divine nature of the sacrifices and attributed every event and activity upon earth to some divine cause or the activity of the gods.
Religious or animist notions connected to fire are assumed to reach back to such early pre-Homo sapiens times. Worship or deification of fire is known from various religions. Fire worship was prevalent in Vedic and the Ancient Iranian religion (Zoroastrianism). Evidence of fire worship has also been found at the Indus Valley sites of Kalibangan and Lothal.
Homams or Havan smoke of medicinal plants for curing disorders. The produced smoke is rich with the aroma of all ingredients burnt in fire and acts as a stimulant to the brain and the carbon dioxide produced at a very slow pace used by the plants as well.
They communicate with divine through prayers and chants. For priestly families, ritual knowledge was the main source of livelihood. They prayed for peace and prosperity, and for a prosperous and bountiful world, so that they could find more patrons and have more opportunities to practice their profession and earn their livelihood.

Abhishekam

Gods are bathed in a special Ritual called Abhishekam. Normally Water, Milk, Oil, Sandalwood paste, Honey are used. Idols, especially Granite idols, tend to develop cracks while aging. They can also preserve these ancient sculptures well.

Specific alloy of silver, gold, and traces of lead, having such unusual medicinal properties when infused with milk and honey. The idol of the Muruga in Palani is made out of an amalgam of nine poisonous herbs or Navapashanam. The milk and Panchamrita coming from the Abhishekam with unique medicinal properties, are distributed to devotees.

Veda mantras are chanted. The The Idols are selected to have correct resonance and believed to absorb the sound waves from the mantras.

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