can someone explain the puja symbols ?

[ThouArt]

Namaste:

As a new Hindu I have attended a few pujas and have been unable to find out what many of the parts of a puja symbolize. For example, I don't know what the water (yellow in color) symbolizes and why it is drunk. I understand the placement of the helmet, the fire (it symbolizes our spiritual cleansing, doesn't it?). Also, there is often two or as many three colored powders: yellow, red, and gray/white; while at temple the other day I noticed several men had the grayish lines with the red dot in the center on their forehead (my assumption is the symbol of Lord Shiva but I did not see any women with such a design on their foreheads.
I feel very left out and reluctant to perform ritual not knowing what I am doing and why. I enjoy performing the rituals and feel uplifted and a part of the religious community when I am able to participate. My desire to understand what is going on is very important to me. Many times I ask a temple member or swami what things mean but am not given any answers.
Thank you for helping me out and being patient! I appreciate it!:o

[Ablaze]

while at temple the other day I noticed several men had the grayish lines with the red dot in the center on their forehead (my assumption is the symbol of Lord Shiva but I did not see any women with such a design on their foreheads.

Were there three horizontal lines? if so, yes, that is the Saivite tilaka (the Tripundra).

http://www.sripremananda.org/photos/india/sannyasin_001.jpg

[Sudarshan]

As a new Hindu I have attended a few pujas and have been unable to find out what many of the parts of a puja symbolize. For example, I don't know what the water (yellow in color) symbolizes and why it is drunk.


The yellow in water must be due to turmeric(haldi?). It is a good disinfectant, and considered auspicious.



I understand the placement of the helmet, the fire (it symbolizes our spiritual cleansing, doesn't it?). Also, there is often two or as many three colored powders: yellow, red, and gray/white; while at temple the other day I noticed several men had the grayish lines with the red dot in the center on their forehead (my assumption is the symbol of Lord Shiva but I did not see any women with such a design on their foreheads.
I feel very left out and reluctant to perform ritual not knowing what I am doing and why. I enjoy performing the rituals and feel uplifted and a part of the religious community when I am able to participate. My desire to understand what is going on is very important to me. Many times I ask a temple member or swami what things mean but am not given any answers.
Thank you for helping me out and being patient! I appreciate it!:o

Colors are used to represent guNa or quality.
White and Yellow typically represent mode of goodness or stability(Sattva)
Red represents mode of passion or creativity( Rajas)
Black and Dark colors like blue represent mode of ignorance or involution(Tamas)

[sarabhanga]

Namaste ThouArt,

The manifest result or remains of the puja will generally be five-fold. The solid prasada will (usually) be a sweet food; the liquid prasada will be water (or milk); the vaporous prasada will be the fragrance from incense or flowers; the fiery prasada will be the heat from the lighted lamp (dipa); and the ethereal prasada will be the light from the dipa (and the illumination of the whole ritual).

The forehead marking (pundra or tilaka) is one of the most ancient of Hindu practices. The tilaka is a sectarian mark, with horizontal lines indicating Shiva and vertical lines indicating Vishnu (or Shri). The exact process and design is received from one’s spiritual preceptor, and it is not right to wear such marks without any authority. The pujari will usually offer various colored pastes or powders (along with the dipa) at the end of the puja, and he should mark your forehead as is appropriate for the particular puja.