Understanding the mythology through participation of a Hindu religious Essay

Understanding the mythology through participation of a Hindu religious ritual, The Saraswati Puja - Essay Example Excited with the prospect of being a part of one of the oldest religions in the world, I patiently waited out the days till the day of the Puja arrived. I reached his house and I was informed that the ritual they were celebrating was known as Saraswati Puja. I saw all house members dressed in their ethnic wear, either in white or in yellow. On asking, I was told that both were the colors associated with Goddess Saraswati who was worshipped as the goddess of wisdom. I saw voluptuous amounts of flowers and fruits being put up as offerings in front of a female stone idol that was depicted with four arms and a bird at its feet. People sat on the floor in a semi circular way in front of the idol with a priest sitting in front of it chanting rhymes or what is known as mantras. It seemed a bit difficult to understand in the beginning the significance of conducting such a ritual and seeing all members of the family sitting in front, hands folded and showering flowers on the idol at regular i ntervals. The celebration of the Saraswati Puja Nevertheless, I was asked by my friend to sit along with them and take part in the ritual. I had never really sat on the floor in the posture that they were sitting, which initially made it difficult for me to sit with folded legs. I was told by my friend that in Hinduism, one doesn’t sit in front of Gods with their legs aimed towards them, and that was why they had to fold their legs while offering praises. It was quite radical from what I had seen or heard about in other religions but I realized every religion had their own way of viewing and following things. I was quite impressed by the way I saw everyone being engrossed in the ritual and devoting all of their concentration, in spite of the physical difficulties of sitting cramped on the floor. My friend told me that Hindus believed that Gods would be impressed by the devotion with which followers worshipped them and would shower their blessings on them. I was highly moved w ith the amount of devotion that I was seeing from everyone in the family which made me realize how religious Hindus were. It was also fascinating to see the vast amount of fruits and sweets that were put up on plates but however no one was even touching it. I felt quite compelled to take a few pieces out of it, but was told that since those were put up as offerings, no one would touch it unless the rituals were over and they had been fed upon by the Gods. It sounded very mythological but I was amazed at the different ways in which people ensured of their devotion to Gods. It was also enlightening to know that the idea behind showering Gods and Goddesses with flowers came from the concept that the flowers represented purity, beauty and smell, all of which were considered to be pleasing to the Gods. Hence they always ensured that the freshest of flowers were brought for such rituals. I could also see a lot of incense sticks burning which were giving out a beautiful smell and I realize d how much importance the Hindus gave towards creating a perfect environment for worshipping their Gods, believing that Gods would bless them in seeing their devotion and efforts. It also in way made me realize the spirituality that Hindus possess which was so famous and desired all over the world, and I was at that time involved in such a ritual which was a direct essence of the spirituality of the Hindus. I felt glad that I had been invited to be a part of such rituals and traditions and I could see and understand the culture and religion at such closeness. I felt more and more at ease as time passed through the rituals and I could sense calmness settling inside me. At the