In Sanatan Dharma, consecration of idols is a very old religious belief. In Sanatan Dharma, the ritual of consecration of life takes place in the form of a sacred thread that threads life into the idols. According to religion, it is believed that the idol gets consecrated, that is, the idol which is installed as per the religious rules, is considered to be a perfect idol. Prana means soul, and Pratishtha means giving place. It is believed that the idol consecrated is worshiped in a living form. Just like a living person needs food and clothes as per time. Similarly, the consecrated idol also needs proper arrangement as per the time.

What is Pran Pratistha and why is it important?

In Sanatan Dharma, the consecration of the idols of God holds paramount importance, Pran Pratistha, an integral ritual of installing the idols in the temples, is considered an important moment. Many people in India keep consecrated idols in their homes also. When life force is established in the God/Goddess idol, that makes the idol worthy of worship. In short, Prana Pratishtha involves the process of animating the idol by transforming it into a living representation of the deity. Without this ritual, no idol is considered suitable for worship in Hinduism.

How are statues consecrated?

According to Sanatan Dharma, the eyes of the idol which is to be consecrated are kept covered only after construction. To perform the consecration, water is collected from various holy rivers. The idol is first anointed with this holy water. The anointing ritual is done carefully. Initially, the idol is given a ceremonial bath with the sacred waters of rivers like the Ganga, symbolizing purity. The idol is then dressed in new clothes and placed at a designated place, where it is decorated with sandalwood paste. The consecration itself takes place through the chanting of the Beeja mantras, which is an invocation that fills the idol with the divine and life force.

This ritual involves the participation of priests and acharyas who touch various parts of the idol and invoke the deities by continuously chanting mantras. After this the Abhishekam process ends by opening the divine eye with scented water and flowers. When the eyes of the deity are thus opened, a mirror is placed in front of the idol to enable the deity to see his own bright personality; sometimes, due to the intense life force present in the vision, the mirror breaks. Is. Because breaking the glass or any other object placed in front of the idol during Murti Pran Pratishtha is considered an auspicious event. After this, Aarti is performed, and Prasad is distributed among the devotees. Only after this this sacred ceremony is completed.

What happens to the idols after consecration?

Pran Pratistha is considered an essential condition for idol worship. It is believed that after this Pratishtha, the God/Goddess themselves reside in the idol. This ritual acts as a medium between the worshiper and the divine. To get auspicious results of the ritual, it is mandatory to follow the auspicious time.Continuous daily worship is considered necessary to maintain the divine connection established during Pran Pratistha. In Hindu religion, ignoring the idols after Pran Pratistha is considered disrespectful. Every ritual and procedure must be followed to properly honor the idols. It is believed that if the deities are not attended to, they express displeasure and may even invoke divine retribution. For example, idols like Bhairava and Goddess Kali may incur their wrath if they fail to follow the rituals. According to Hindu scriptures, the idol in a temple or home should always face the east direction. It is believed that there is positive energy in the east direction, and the idols kept facing this direction receive divine blessings. Following Hindu traditions, the idols of the deity should be worshiped five times a day. The ritual begins during Brahma Muhurta, before sunrise, and ends just before sunset.

Should idol prestige be considered superstition?

Consecration of life is often considered a superstition, whereas consecrating a place is a science, through which the energy of that place is made subtle and intense. When we honor a place, the energy there becomes full and intense with vibrations. Just by sitting in that place, the level of energy in our system starts flowing upwards, the movement of energy in the body starts happening automatically from the lower chakras to the higher chakras. This is also the purpose of spiritual practices. To move energy from lower chakras to higher chakras. Therefore, such prestigious places are very helpful in spiritual practice and prove to be a boon for the seekers. Have you ever noticed that why our mind automatically fills with reverence as soon as we go to religious places? Why do we feel so much peace there? Because these places have been consecrated. The value of an idol is not measured by the cost of its stone or its beauty. It depends on the fact that as soon as the seeker reaches the periphery of that particular place, he starts experiencing divinity and his contact with God starts immediately. Consecration of life is an extraordinary and wonderful work. The artistic beauty of the idol is not important in the life consecration of the idols. Even if a simple stone is placed there and consecrated, it is as fruitful as a statue made by a beautiful artist.