Annapurna 1
We can perform Abhishekham (Holy Bath) to the deities in our homes, since it is considered as a very pious act. Abhishekham performing to Ma Annapurna is considered as a very sacred act, since the divine holy mother provides food and water to each and every living being in the earth regularly with great love and affection.
As per Puranas, it was mentioned that once she has offered food to her consort Lord Shiva himself in his begging bowl. Small idols of Ma Annapurna would be available in the Puja shops, and those who are interested can buy one such idol, and they could regularly do the holy bath to the divine goddess, using milk, fruit juice, coconut water, honey and oil.
Some of us used to think that doing Abhishekham to the deities is a waste job, and we might also think that instead of doing Abhishekham to the deities, we could use the food products in donating it to the poor people. Donating for the sake of poor people and doing social welfare activities is always considered as a good act. But at the same time, we should also sanctify the deities by doing various good acts to them. We can also consider them as our own parents, and similar to doing service to our parents, we could also do proper divine service to them, in order to please them.
Actually god is the true creator and we are all born and living in this world only through his grace. Though god doesn’t ask anything to us, but it is our duty to please him through our noble acts. The main reason for doing holy bath to the deities is to provide chillness to them in order to reduce the heat from their body. We must believe that all the deities which present either in our homes or in the temples contain spiritual powers, and we should believe that the idols act as the divine body of the deities.
In the Holy Tirumala Temple, it is said, that lot of heat generates from the idol of Lord Venkateswara, and in order to reduce the heat from the body of the great Lord Venkateswara, the Tirumala Priests are doing various kinds of Abhishekham to him, and it is also like bathing our own child with great love and affection.
Some people would keep the idol of crawling Krishna in their homes, by considering it as their own child, and they also would perform holy bath to him.
“OM MA ANNAPOORANIYE NAMAHA”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR