A Question Temple Puja
Namaste,
For those who remember me, yes it's been some time since my last post. I see a lot of new and old faces floating in and around HDF and it staggers me to think so many years have passed when I first joined nearly 10 years ago. How quickly time has flown and yet still how novice I feel in the practice, philosophy and understanding of Sanatana Dharma.
For the first time in many, many years I was able to begin attending regular puja services at my local Hindu temple where Lord Vinayaka presides as the primary deity. Up until now, my efforts at bhakti yoga had been confined completely in the privacy of my home shrine where I perform japa and worship at home. I now make it a point to go every Sunday to attend morning services and participate in communal worship of God. The temple is small and the congregation varies from one or two other devotees to sometimes whole families. However, I find that I still have a few questions about worship of God in the Hindu tradition that might be answered here by HDF members who are regular attendees of a temple.
1. In the temple, the morning puja I have attended is conducted by the swami who makes silent commune with Lord Vinayaka through mudras and gestures with his hand, before he offers uncooked rice into a bowl at His feet. This goes on for what I imagine to be 108 recitations of God's name before the blinds are drawn across shielding the vigraha's image from the congretation before bells are rung continuously for a time. At this point, the intensity of worship can be most keenly felt - can someone tell me why God's darshan is covered for this time? It is only for the time that the bell rings. All the while, invocations to Ganesha are silent from the priest.
2. When receiving prasad, one of the offerings is a little metal crown that the priest briefly touches on the head of each devotee who joins their hands in prayer. I had not seen this before in other pujas. What is the significance and origin of this?
3. I am aware of the tradition of knocking one's temples to remember Ganesha before worship, but what is the meaning of the pulling of one's ears and squatting a few times? Maybe it is a sign of humility? Is this tied in with worship of Ganesha?
Om namah Shivaya.
"Watch your thoughts, they become words.
Watch your words, they become actions.
Watch your actions, they become habits.
Watch your habits, they become your character.
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny."
ॐ गं गणपतये नमः
Om Gam Ganapataye namah
लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु ।
Lokaah SamastaaH Sukhino Bhavantu
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