Pujas - A Time of Worship, Light & Devotion

ceremonial harmonies of light
sounds evoke and invoke
focus remains on the heart

 I was blessed to be able to attend a Ganapati Puja last night and a Lakshmi Puja. Both pujas were led by vedic priest and author Sri Amarananda Bhairavan.
Both experiences were beautiful and inspiring. I am still absorbing all the wonderful energies. I found Sri Bhairavan to be embodiment of kindness, compassion, and wisdom.

I was impressed by his assistant, Harsha, who was equally humble, open, kind, and compassionate. I was very touched when she gave me a wonderful, unexpected gift at the end of the second puja.

From his website, Deep Soul Healing:

Sri Amarananda Bhairavan, affectionately known as Nandu, is an internationally renowned Vedic Priest and Master Healer. During his joyous childhood amongst an extended family on the west coast of India, Amarananda trained in Oti vidya, a tantra unique to Odiyyathis or tribal medicine women of Kerala. Initiated at the age of nine by his aunt, Amarananda Bhairavan remains a direct descendant of this eight thousand year old tradition of goddess worship. His mystical education and initiations in the ancient Oti vidya tantric practices are the subject of his two visionary books: Kali’s Odiyya: A Shaman’s True Story of Initiation and Medicine of Light: A Shaman’s Journey through Mystic Space-Time.

The definition below is from the Smithsonian Institution:

Puja: Expressions of Hindu Devotion   

Puja is the act of showing reverence to a god, a spirit, or another aspect of the divine through invocations, prayers, songs, and rituals. An essential part of puja for the Hindu devotee is making a spiritual connection with the divine. Most often that contact is facilitated through an object: an element of nature, a sculpture, a vessel, a painting, or a print.

During puja an image or other symbol of the god serves as a means of gaining access to the divine. This icon is not the deity itself; rather, it is believed to be filled with the deity's cosmic energy. It is a focal point for honoring and communicating with the god. For the devout Hindu, the icon's artistic merit is important, but is secondary to its spiritual content. The objects are created as receptacles for spiritual energy that allow the devotee to experience direct communication with his or her gods.

Bless all those who reach out to touch another's heart