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> Maheshwara pooja - 23 Jul '06 - ashram, Bangalore
Maheshwara pooja in Ashram, Bangalore
- 23 July 2006
On 23 July '06, Sri Prabakar and his family, devotees of Swamiji, performed the Maheshwara pooja to Swamiji and all the ordained Brahmacharis, Brahmacharinis, Swamis and Swaminis of the ashram. This marked the 13th day since cremation of Prabakar's father Sri Devraj Mudaliar on 12 July '06 .
Swamiji explained the significance of the pooja thus: The Brahmacharis, Brahmacharinis, Swamis and Swaminis, after having taken their vows at the time of ordainment have offered themselves as channels to Existence to flow through them. They become pure empty channels for Existence. Therefore by offering food to them, mediums of Existence, the family offers to their own ancestors so it may reach them and Existence as a whole. As an offering to the departed soul and to other ancestors, food was served along with a pooja.
Following are pictures from this wonderful ceremony.
Swamiji chants from the Bhagavad Gita at the start of the pooja. Following this, the sannyasis performed Guru pooja to the danda, the stick, that represents the Guru or the Master.
The family offers arati and prostrates at the feet of the group, thereby to Existence itsef.
Swamiji gives a handful of food from his plate to each and every one in the group before before starting to eat the food offered.
Each one in the group feeds the other in a loving way before starting to eat. Swamiji explained that these customs are to maintain a deep and beautiful relaionship between one another, where one easily forgives and forgets any misgivings due to play of the mind.
Sri Prabakar offers a plate of beetel leaves and small change as per the custom, honouring Annadata, the title given to the Brahmachari who is the giver of food at the Nithyananda Anna Mandir at the ashram.
Annadata is seen sitting beside Swamiji. Each one in the group prostrates first at the feet of Swamiji and then at the feet of Annadata and receives one set of beetel leaves from him.
Annadata prostrates at the feet of each member in the group and they in turn give whatever curreny notes that they possess, to him as a token!
At the end of it, each member in the group falls at the feet of all those who have been ordained in their respective order of class earlier to them, thus symbolically bowing down to seniority in the path of spirituality.
