Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Home Altar

  1. #1
    Join Date
    November 2007
    Location
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Age
    38
    Posts
    464
    Rep Power
    0

    Home Altar

    I am staying with my girlfriend's family in Malaysia. They are Hindus, and I have converted to Hinduism to marry her (but that's in the long run). They have a home altar, and it has doors that you are supposed to shut at night and open in the morning with special ceremonies. However, they aren' that ritualistic and so they don't know how to do it. I am extremely ritualistic (I visited an ISKCON temple in New Zealand, so I have a fairly good idea of Hindu theology and worship) and I would like to maintain the altar properly. Does anyone here know of a guide to maintain a home altar, with prayers and mantras to be chanted at the appropriate places?

    Also, does anyone know of a guide for performing puja properly. I've seen several, but most 1) don't have the appropriate prayers to say, and 2) Aren't from the kind of Hinduism practiced here in Malaysia (South Indian Hinduism). The Puja set on our altar contains the following:

    - a small bell
    - a small dish with a handle for burning cone or round incense with a handle to hold it
    - a small lamp with a handle to hold it (burns either oil or camphor)
    - a camphor lamp (it is a round conical lamp with a raised portion in the middle to hold the camphor)
    - a rounded (convex) pot of water
    - a concave pot of water with a spoon
    - a container of sacred ash'
    - a container to hold kumkum powder
    - a stick incense holder

    At the temple, the priest offers the incense first, then the small oil lamp, then water with a spoon, then the large camphor lamp, and then sprinkles the deity with flowers. Is this the order I should use for home worship, and if so, what do I say when offering each item?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    September 2007
    Location
    Canada
    Age
    70
    Posts
    7,191
    Rep Power
    5038

    Re: Home Altar

    Aum
    Lucky you, to be in Malaysia..I am here in Canada at -23 C or so. Here is a link to the type of puja you will most likely need for South Indian or Sri Lankan homes.
    http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archive...-52_puja.shtml

    You can start out simpler than this of course. It is really all attitude, IMHO. You will find that Malaysian style Hinduism is very different from what you witnessed at the ISKCON temple. For starters, the shrine is probably for Ganesha, Siva, or Murugan, or all of the above. Enjoy. Aum Namasivaya

  3. #3
    Join Date
    November 2007
    Location
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Age
    38
    Posts
    464
    Rep Power
    0

    Re: Home Altar

    Quote Originally Posted by Eastern Mind View Post
    Aum
    Lucky you, to be in Malaysia..I am here in Canada at -23 C or so. Here is a link to the type of puja you will most likely need for South Indian or Sri Lankan homes.
    http://www.hinduismtoday.com/archive...-52_puja.shtml

    You can start out simpler than this of course. It is really all attitude, IMHO. You will find that Malaysian style Hinduism is very different from what you witnessed at the ISKCON temple. For starters, the shrine is probably for Ganesha, Siva, or Murugan, or all of the above. Enjoy. Aum Namasivaya
    Thanks very much for this. This is what I really needed.

    The shrine has pictures of Ganesha, Durga, Krishna and Radha, Ganesha and two Goddesses, one being Sarasvati, and the other (I presume) being Lakshmi, a Goddess on a throne with gold coins on the floor, which I presume is Lakshmi, two deities in front of a temple somewhere which I don't recognize, and a small statue of Lord Ganesha. Lord Ganesha is the main God, and that link you sent me had Ganesha Puja.

    What mantras do I chant to offer the Puja to the other pictures? Do I use the same ones but simply change the names of Ganesha to those of the other gods? For the Krishna picture, could I just simply say the 'Hare Krishna' mantra?

    And what about opening and closing the doors of the altar?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    September 2007
    Location
    Canada
    Age
    70
    Posts
    7,191
    Rep Power
    5038

    Re: Home Altar

    To keep it very simple, you can say Aum _________ (the god or goddesses name) then 'aham _____________ (deepam, dhupam, or navaidyam) (lights, incense, food) samarpayami ,as you make each offering. The gods you don't recognize, especially if they are an identical pair, are probably temple guardians, like gatekeepers. (Just my guess) As far as entering goes, do pranams first to acknowledge you are entering sacred space, and prepare your mind with an aum or three. It is also traditional to step across the boundary right foot first. (Don't ask me why, I don't know) It is also traditional to prostrate full out (different than in North Indian style) upon entering and before leaving) Like I said before, its more in attitude than in ceremony. I've seen a great variety in all this, depending on the devotee, and what they learned as they grew up. Enjoy. BTW, where are you in Malaysia? I hope to make it my home away from home for the 3 coldest months here in about 3-4 years from now, and I need local contacts there to help reduce expenses. Aum Namasivaya

  5. #5
    Join Date
    March 2006
    Location
    Sahasrarkadyutirmatha
    Posts
    1,802
    Rep Power
    191

    Smile Re: Home Altar

    Namaste Scott,

    Lord Ganesha has two consorts: Riddhi (Lakshmi) and Siddhi (Sarasvati).

  6. #6
    Join Date
    November 2007
    Location
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Age
    38
    Posts
    464
    Rep Power
    0

    Re: Home Altar

    Quote Originally Posted by sarabhanga View Post
    Namaste Scott,

    Lord Ganesha has two consorts: Riddhi (Lakshmi) and Siddhi (Sarasvati).
    He isn't married to them, is he? I thought that Lakshmi was married to Lord Vishnu and that Sarasvati was married to Lord Brahma.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    March 2006
    Location
    Sahasrarkadyutirmatha
    Posts
    1,802
    Rep Power
    191

    Post Re: Home Altar

    Namaste Scott,

    Some say that gaNesha is a brahmacArin, with no wife; and some say that gaNesha has three wives (Rddhi, siddhi, and buddhi); but “wife” or “consort” indicates shakti (associated power). gaNesha has the powers of Rddhi (prosperity or fortune = lakshmI, the shakti of viSNu) and siddhi (skill or art) and buddhi (intellect).

    Considered as a trinity, with only two consorts, gaNesha himself represents buddhi and (since he is borne from satI pArvatI) his personal shakti is the same shakti of shiva. And siddhi is equivalent with sarasvatI or brAhmI.

    There are many different ways of viewing gaNesha, but if he is presented with two devis something like lakshmI and sarasvatI (just as you described), then the trio would normally be gaNesha (a male form of satI) and Rddhi (a form of lakshmI or indrANI) and siddhi (a form of brAhmI).

  8. #8
    Join Date
    September 2007
    Location
    Canada
    Age
    70
    Posts
    7,191
    Rep Power
    5038

    Re: Home Altar

    In my personal experience, Ganesha with shaktis is somewhat rare. He usually stands alone. Murugan, on the other hand can either stand alone, or have two shaktis, and the latter seems more common. As Sarabhanga said, they are never considers as wives, as all the Gods are genderless really, but powers can be expressed in this way. Where you are, Scott, Murugan is all over. The largest festival by far is Thai Pusam. Its coming up in a couple of months and I hope you get to celebrate it, via observance or direct participation, as it is unlike any other festival, especially in Vaishnava or Northern circles, in fact not even heard of.
    As to ISKCON and Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the ISKCON temple here in my city has very few ISKCON devotees, but all the Gaudiyas show up as it is the closest thing around to being back home. But from what i can tell, that is unique to here only. Aum Namasivaya

  9. #9
    Join Date
    March 2006
    Location
    Sahasrarkadyutirmatha
    Posts
    1,802
    Rep Power
    191

    Post Re: Home Altar

    Namaste EM,

    As an independent deity, the Rddhi shakti of gaNesha is remembered in his fondness for luxury and laDDu; while his siddhi appears as his broken tusk, which he severed to complete his transcription of the mahAbhArata.

    See also: the inheritance of hara

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •