Rituals Of Hindu Life

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Ritual is a religious or solemn ceremony involving a series of actions performed according to a set order. Pooja and Yajna are the two such rituals which play a significant role in the life of a Hindu. Pooja which means worshipping a deity can be performed either at home or in temples or at both the places. The Hindus offer several articles like flowers, sandalwood paste, incense, food, Tulsi leaves, etc. while performing pooja. The person who conducts the Pooja in a temple is known as a Poojari. Arti-waving of lights before the image of the deity, is an important part of the Pooja ceremony. After Arti the pooja ceremony of that particular day comes to an end. During pregnancy ceremonies are held to ensure the welfare of the mother as well as the growing child. When the child is born, a number of rituals are performed. These rituals include the first visit outside to a temple, the first feeding with solid food, an ear-piercing ceremony, the first haircut, etc. Generally, shaving the child's head for the first time is done at some religious places and the first hair is offered to a deity. Mantras are chanted on all these occasions. Then comes upanayana sanskar which is popular among the orthodox, upper-caste Hindus it generally takes place for young males between the ages of six and twelve. At the ceremony, the priest invests the boy with a sacred thread to be worn always over the left shoulder and the parents instruct f^m to pronounce the Gayatri Mantra. The Upanayan sinker is held to mark the transition tQ awareness and adult religious responsibilities. In South, a different ritual occurs at the first menses of the young Hindu women. Marriage is another important ritual. It is a sacrament and not a civil contract. It is a sanskar or purificatory ceremony obligatory for every Hindu. Marriage ceremony is properly ritualised. The important ritual in

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