“Panch” means 5 and “Amrutha” means nectar in Sanskrit. Panchamrutha Abhishekha is a Hindu ritual performed at all homes and temples, where the idols are bathed with Milk, Curds, Honey, Sugar and Ghee/Clarified Butter with the chanting of mantras.
When ripe fruits of Banana and Mangoes are used in the ritual, it is known as “Phala Panchamrutha”, here “Phala” means fruit. After every ingredient “Shudhodaka snana” i.e, pure water is poured on the idols. Sometimes, “Phala Neera” i.e., tender coconut water is also used to bathe the idols.
After the abhishekha the idols are cleaned and beautifully decorated. A Maha Mangalaarathi/grand aarathi is performed. A spoonful of Panchamrutha is offered to the devotees.
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[…] got … when the Swamiji himself, Shri Lakshmivara Thirtha Swamiji who just ascended the Paryaya …Panchamrutha Abhishekha – Bathing the idols with 5 nectars …Panch means 5 and Amrutha means nectar in Sanskrit. Panchamrutha Abhishekha is a Hindu ritual […]
i still am pained to see lakhs of children dreaming of milk, curds, fruits, which they have seen, but have not tasted, while we in hindu temples, perform PANCHAMRUTHA ABHISHEKA to our Gods. we need to re-think, if we could avoid this and distribute to poor chldren in the temple itself. decorate with flowers. take our devotees to different levels of worship, to dhyana, dharana and samaadhi state in a systematic process as detailed in our sanaathana dharma. can we re=engineer the process of worship. will the heads of mutts and swmiji’s take the lead? we are becoming more ritualistic,… Read more »
Namasthe Bharadwaj, I do not think that Indian children are still going hungry. Poverty is something that can be overcome in the current age with hard work. I have’nt seen a single “Kavala thayi” i.e. people begging for food in the last decade. In fact our maids do not accept food that is prepared the previous night. Coming to the rituals, it is all in your mind…rituals like abhishekha is like offering whatever god has given to us back to him. In the temples, the panchamrutha is distributed to all the devotees irrespective of caste, color or creed. The heads… Read more »
If, some body feels or gets pained, by the worship of LORD SHIVA, or if he feels that, we are depriving children of milk, honey, sugar, tender coconut water, he should answer the questions below: 1) Why does he take bath by wasting water in buckets, whereas he can finish in tumblers or towels? 2) Why goats and cows are being slaughtered as they are also living beings?. 3) Why he does not understand the karmic relationship of their parents who does not understand or share the responsibility of producing a child without understanding his ability to feed a child?… Read more »
Good answer Vijeet
Shantha, nice informative post. I browse through your blog often, thanks for all the nice posts and lovely pics and keep up the good work!
@ bk bharadwaj ji, your thoughts are of a highly intellectual person. Dhyana, yoga and philosophy is difficult for the commom man/woman like myself, which is why we need rituals in our daily life to lead us to the divine. If you are worried about charity, there are many Hindu organisations that help the poor without regard to caste or religion such as Akshaya Patra that provides hot meals to children in govt schools in 8 Indian states, Satya Sai Baba’s schools, colleges and the super speciality hospital at Whitefield in which poor people from all over the country come… Read more »
Thanks Nandini for sharing your thoughts. Keep visiting.
Regards,
Shantha
I came here while searching images of Ashoka tree and I couldn’t get away from this blog.
Thanks for information basa