Kalasha pooja

Kalasha pooja
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I was fortunate to be present in the Meenakshi temple when they performed a Sudarshana Yagna. It was about 3 hours long and I was looking at the nicely decorated kalashaas and wondering about the significance of doing the aavahanam to the kalasha. The kalasha was decorated with different colored threads and mango leaves at the mouth. A coconut was placed at the mouth of the kalasham. I was reading about what it symbolizes and I thought I will share the information i collected with others who are wondering like me. 

 

What is a kalasha? It is a pot made of mud, copper or brass.

 

What does that represent?

 

Mahavishnu lies in the kaarana jala as Hiranya garbha (golden egg) before the creation started. One who lies in the kaaranana jala or primordial water is Naaraayna! The universe was filled with kaarana jala and only Hiranyagarbha existed. So the Kalasham filled with water actually represents the whole universe or in this case after invocation, the particular deity. When the Easwara chaithanyam is imparted to it, universe becomes activated. Mango  leaves and coconut represent creation. The thread around the Kalasha represents the love that binds all things created by God.

 

Sacred water from all the seven punya nadis are invoked into the Kalasha, all the knowledge from the vedaas and upanishads, all the blessings of the 330 million devathas also are invoked in to the Kalasha by chanting veda manthraas. After energizing the water in it, that water is used for all the rituals.

 

When the milky ocean was churned so many things came out of it including the the poison "halahala", elephant, horse, Mahalakshimi, Varunidevi, and last one to emerge was Dhanwanthara murthy with Amrutha Kalasham in His hand. Amrutham gives immortality. So Kalasham also symbolizes immortality.

 

A pot filled with water never spills. Likewise people who are really mahaatmaas will be humble and always radiate  joy and happiness to everybody around. So we usually greet Mahaatmaas with "poonakumbham" or "poornakalasham" acknowledging and appreciating their fullness of character and divinity! The pure vibrations emanating from this 'energised' water will enhance the transfer of the goodness of the person being welcomed, to the audience.