Rituals

Shiva Bhagwan left his abode on Mt. Kailas in the Himalayas to meditate in a cave. The friends of his spouse, Parvati, suggested that she should have an attendant (gana) of her own because they were not pleased with Shiva’s ganas. She used her divine powers and bore a son, who she named Vinayak, and instructed him to guard their home.

When Shiva returned home Vinayak did not allow him to enter. After a brief argument, Shiva beheaded Vinayak with his trishul (a kind of trident). When Parvati heard about this she cried in despair over the loss of her son. As a means to console Parvati, Shiva sent his men to the forest and instructed them to retrieve the head of the first living creature they met. Shortly, his men returned with the head of a baby elephant. With his divine powers, Shiva placed the baby elephant’s head over Vinayak's body and, in a matter of seconds, Vinayak came back to life.

After this incident, Vinayak became known as Gajaanan, which stems from the root word ‘gaj’ meaning elephant. Shiva blessed him with a boon and explained that people would first offer their love and devotion to Ganeshji before starting any auspicious activity

The Sun God has always held special position in every Hindu ritual. Since the sun rises in the East, every ritual is done facing east-ward

Hindus believe that once a body is burnt to ashes, only then the atma (higher-self or soul) is really free to move on

Hindus regard Tulsi (or Holy Basil) as an earthly manifestation of the goddess Tulsi, a consort of the god Vishnu. The offering of its leaves is mandatory in ritualistic worship of Vishnu and his forms like Krishna and Vithoba

The south is considered to be the direction of Yama, the god of death, and so Hindus do not even sleep with the head in the south-direction. On the other hand, a person can sleep in an opposite direction, for example, he can keep his head in the north and feet facing south. This sleeping position is also suggested in Vaastu Shastra

Suddhi refers to the cleansing of both the body and the soul. The cleansing of the body can be achieved by bathing (which is a part of Suddhi) and then the mantra is recited to cleanse the soul

Cooking is always considered to be a very pure act which requires love and compassion. So, before every pure act we should cleanse our body and our mind

The ancient Hindu scriptures describe how the sage Vishwamitra was given the Gayatri mantra by the Supreme Being as a reward for his many years of deep penance and meditation. This was to be a gift for all humanity. It is said that this sacred prayer spirals through the entire universe from the heart of the chanter, appealing for peace and divine wisdom for all..

The Gayatri Mantra inspires wisdom in us using very basic but beautiful language. It says "May the divine light of the Supreme Being illuminate our intellect, to lead us along a path of righteousness".

The Vedas say:

"To chant the Gayatri Mantra
purifies the chanter.
To listen to the Gayatri Mantra
purifies the listener."

Ganga (or Ganges) is mentioned in all the Vedas and sacred texts. She is said to be the mother of Bhishma, a prime character in the Mahabharata. Ganga is believed to purify anything and everything

Hisbiscus is red in colour and can be found in abundance in Bengali society. Red symbolises blood, wrath and power, which are all related to Mother Kali