Nammah Rituals

When the gods and demons churned the cosmic ocean, a deadly poison called Halahala rose and threatened all creation. Lord Shiva drank it to save the world, and Devi Parvati pressed her hand to his throat so it stayed there, turning it blue. To soothe the burning heat, the gods cooled him with sandalwood paste, which is why devotees still offer chandan to Lord Shiva.

As treasures rose from the churning of the ocean, Devi Lakshmi appeared seated on a lotus. Passing over every god and demon who hoped to be chosen, she walked to Lord Vishnu and placed a garland of fragrant flowers around his neck, which is why rose and jasmine are offered to them together. Coconut is called shriphal, the fruit of Shri, another name for Devi Lakshmi, and mogra and jasmine are also linked to Lord Krishna, who loves fragrant garlands.

Lord Brahma, the creator, is the divine priest of the Vedic havan, which is why havan cups suit him best. In the story of the fiery pillar, Lord Shiva appeared as an endless column of fire. Lord Vishnu honestly admitted he could not find its base, but Lord Brahma falsely claimed to have seen the top, so Lord Shiva cursed him to be rarely worshipped. That is why Lord Brahma has very few temples, the best known being at Pushkar in Rajasthan.

Devi Parvati made a boy from sandalwood paste and breathed life into him to guard her door. When Lord Shiva returned, the boy would not let him in, and in anger Lord Shiva struck off his head. To console Devi Parvati, Lord Shiva gave the boy an elephant's head and declared that he, Lord Ganesha, would be worshipped before every other god, which ties sandalwood to his very creation.

The buffalo demon Mahishasura had won a boon that no man or god could kill him, and he took heaven from the gods. The gods combined their energies into a radiant goddess, Maa Durga, and each gave her a weapon, including Lord Shiva's trident and Lord Vishnu's discus. She fought him for nine nights and defeated him on the tenth day, a victory that Navratri and Vijayadashami (Dussehra) celebrate in many traditions with fragrant flowers and dhoop.

Lord Hanuman once saw Mata Sita applying sindoor and learned it was for the long life of her husband, Lord Rama. Thinking that more sindoor would bring even more blessing, he smeared it over his whole body. Lord Rama was deeply moved by his devotion, and devotees still offer sindoor and saffron-coloured offerings to Lord Hanuman.

In many accounts, Lord Brahma created the world but it was silent and lifeless. He then created Maa Saraswati, and as she spoke and played her veena, speech, music and knowledge flowed into creation. Always shown in white on a white lotus, she is honoured with white flowers and soft scents, and students begin their studies by worshipping her, especially on Vasant Panchami.

Surya Dev crosses the sky each day in a chariot pulled by seven horses and driven by his charioteer Aruna. Devotees greet him at dawn with water offerings, often mixed with saffron and sandalwood paste, and with the Gayatri mantra, which is addressed to the sun's light and asks that it illuminate the mind.