The structure, entirely made of bamboo, had gone up over night. It's sheer size was awe inspiring and added to this is the fact that it is temporary and once the pooja is over, the entire creation will be dismantled. The apex is important for it's religious significance and even the smallest family shrine will have this feature, because, as it was explained to me, Hindus believe ultimately in one God, but because this concept of infinite power, is difficult for the average person to comprehend, their mythology is filled with many different aspects of the one divine power, in the shape of thousands of Gods and Goddesses.
Despite the heat of the summer sunshine, the masses converged on the scene - boys carried large pieces of wood for the individual fires deep within the structure. The pooja was in honour of Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth. Smoke rose up in clouds, as the many fires were fed with ghee and spices. Chanting filled the air as people walked round the structure in a clockwise rotation - the more times the better. Its objective is purification - ridding the self of negativity and drawing wealth and good things into your orbit - definitely a cause for celebration.
No comments:
Post a Comment