India is known for its rich cultures and traditions. There are hundreds of mesmerizing temples in India, which are of different designs, shapes and are situated in different locations. These temples are also called by many other names in India like mandir, Koil, Devalaya, Kavu depending on the region and its local language.
Hindu temples are very large and beautiful and have a very rich history. Many of the Hindu temples are constructed way back in the Bronze Age and in the time of Indus valley civilization. But now Hindu temples are found in every part of the world like Canada, U.S.A, Australia and many more countries.
People visit temples not only for blessings but also to get some calm time, peace and to get a better mindset. There are actually some reasons why and how temples have a huge impact on our mind and soul.
1. Location and Structure of the temple.
Most temples are found in such places where positive energies are found in abundance. The idol is always set in the core of the temple, which is also called as “Moolasthanam”.The temple is built, once the idol is placed in the highest positive wave centric place. The ‘Moolasthanam’ is always the place, where you will find the maximum positive energy.
2. Why do we remove our shoes before entering temples?
A temple is a place, which have the purest form of magnetic and electric vibrations transferred from the earth, which is the purest form of positive energy. It is said that the temples are constructed in such a way that the centre part of the temple is always the best conductor of these positive energies and when we are bare footed then these energies are transferred into our body through our feet.
Another reason for entering a barefooted is that our shoes, slippers contains a lot of dust, germs and impurities, which are not good for the environment of the temple and these are the source of negative energies as well.
3.Ringing temple bells activates our hearing senses:-
When you enter a temple you always ring the temple bell. But you must be unaware of this fact that this activates our hearing senses.These bells create such a sound,which creates unity in the left and right parts of our brain.When we ring the bell it produces a sharp sound,which remains in the echo mode for seven seonds and this echo mode activates seven healing centres of our body,which help us in emptying our brain from negative thoughts.
4.Camphor activates our sight sense:-
The inner area of the temple is always in the dark and we usually close our eyes to pray and when we open our eyes we see a camphor,which was lit to do Aarati. The moment we see a camphor in a dark,it activates our sight senses.The lightening of camphor is also important as it creates a good vibrative energy inside the prayer room and also the light of the camphor is absorbed by the idol.
5.Camphor flames activate touch senses:-
When you finish your prayer,Pujari offers you a “Thaal of Puja” where a camphor is placed and put your hands over that camphor to make your hands warm and with those warm hands you touch your eyes as well. So by this act of yours,you activate your touch senses.
6.Flower activates your smell senses:-
We often bring flowers to temples and offer them to God.These flowers play a very significant role in maintaining the positive atmosphere of the temple.Flowers spreads a very good fragrance in the temple and the nectar given in the temple using flowers also pleases our tongue. Flowers have the power to makes a man happy and cheerful and colours and soft touch of them also gives an additional cheerful feelings to a person.The smell of a flower gives calmness to mind and also have a strong power of activating our smell senses.
7.Theertham activates your taste senses:-
Soon after finish your prayer,then the Poojari offers you a liquid form of Prasad,which is called “Theertham”.The water which is used in “Theertham” contains ‘Tulsi’ leaves and (holy basil leaves) and it is stored in a copper vessel for almost 8 long hours.
According to Ayurveda water stored in copper vessel has the power to balance three Doshas of our bodies,which are Vata,Kapha and Pitta.By drinking this,our taste senses gets activated.
8.Importance of Pradakshina (Circumambulation):-
Finally,when you are done with all the above rituals you go to the ‘Moolasthanam’ and walks around the idol nine times in clockwise direction.
The idol which has absorbed the sound created by the bell,absorbed the light of the camphor and is now full of positive vibration will transfer its energy to you and you will be able to get those vibrations properly once you have activated all your senses.
9.Importance of ‘Tilak’ :-
On our forehead between our two eyebrows there is a spot,which is considered as the major nerve point in our body. The ‘Tilak’which Pujari apply on your forehead is said to be a very important thing,which prevents the loss of our energy,which we had gained in the temple following the above rituals. The red Kum Kum (vermilion) which is applied as ‘Tilak’ on our forehead is said to retain in our body and also it improves our concentration power.
10.Why we offer Coconut and Banana to God?
Coconut and Bananas are said to be the only two fruits,which are sacred.All the other fruits except these are tainted fruits as they grow from a seed of another eaten fruit. But in case of Banana and Coconut,the procedure is entirely different like if you want to grow a coconut tree,then you have to sow an entire coconut and banana tree grows with the sappling. So this is the main reason why these two fruits have a very important place in our religious activities.
Shekar Moily
