This question is out of curiosity and nothing else. Can some one clarify me on this? In various temples in North India like Kasi and Kedarnath, the pilgrims are allowed to touch and perform abishek and puja themselves on the Murtis, . Whereas, in the temples in South India no one other than the priests are allowed to enter the Garbha Griha and do poojas and abishekam. Why this difference?
Temple rituals
- Thread starter SANKAR N S
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prasad1
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Again, I am a TB from North India.
In South India, the temples are governed by Agam Shastra.
Even in North India or anywhere else, including the USA, South Indian temples still follow that practice.
Major Temples in North India, like Puri Jagannath, Gujarat Somanath, Mumbai Siddhivinayak, Kolkata Kali, and Nathdwara Srinathji, will not allow you to touch the Moorti.
Similarly, all Birla Mandir and Swaminarayan temples will not allow you near the idol.
Did you know that people, by touching the linga and rubbing it, make the stone vanish (Rubbed out)? They have to replace the Linga often.
Maybe during the Muslim ruler times, they could not find a priest, and people started doing it themselves.
From a cleanliness point of view, I would like to keep the Garba Griha separate from the audience or devotees. Then again, I might be biased, being a TB.
But now, in the name of security and crowd control, the devotees cannot even have a view of the deity; there is no point in visiting such temples.
In the Padmanabha Swami Temple, devotees have to wait in a cage-like structure about 300 feet away for a 15-second darshan. At my age, my eyesight is not that good, and in the darkness, we did not see anything.
In South India, the temples are governed by Agam Shastra.
Even in North India or anywhere else, including the USA, South Indian temples still follow that practice.
Major Temples in North India, like Puri Jagannath, Gujarat Somanath, Mumbai Siddhivinayak, Kolkata Kali, and Nathdwara Srinathji, will not allow you to touch the Moorti.
Similarly, all Birla Mandir and Swaminarayan temples will not allow you near the idol.
Even in the Indian story, Markandeya hugged the Shiva Linga.
As Markandeya approached his sixteenth birthday, his parents became increasingly anxious. Aware of his impending death, Markandeya devoted himself to intense worship of Lord Shiva. On the day Yama, the god of death, came to claim him, Markandeya clung to a Shiva Lingam, seeking the deity’s protection. Moved by his devotion, Lord Shiva appeared and intervened, vanquishing Yama and granting Markandeya eternal life.
Markandeya: The Sage Who Conquered Death
Discover the legend of Markandeya, the sage who defied death through unwavering devotion and wisdom, becoming a symbol of immortality and spiritual resilience.www.ramana-maharshi.org
Did you know that people, by touching the linga and rubbing it, make the stone vanish (Rubbed out)? They have to replace the Linga often.
Maybe during the Muslim ruler times, they could not find a priest, and people started doing it themselves.
From a cleanliness point of view, I would like to keep the Garba Griha separate from the audience or devotees. Then again, I might be biased, being a TB.
But now, in the name of security and crowd control, the devotees cannot even have a view of the deity; there is no point in visiting such temples.
In the Padmanabha Swami Temple, devotees have to wait in a cage-like structure about 300 feet away for a 15-second darshan. At my age, my eyesight is not that good, and in the darkness, we did not see anything.
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