Growing up in a family where rituals have been a routine, the significance of these have however been understood much later. One such ritual is the performance of the Sandhya Aarti along with the lighting of the lamps and the blowing of the conch at twilight.
In most traditional Hindu families a lamp is lit in the Puja space during twilight as this is the time of transition and negative energies have greater power during this time. The lighting of the lamp is considered auspicious as it removes the negative energies.
As a child I found such joy when all the neighboring families blew the conches and the bells at twilight and the sound came reverberating through the blue and orange lights of dusk. It is believed that evil spirits are chased away when the conch is blown. The sound of 'Om' emanates from the conch and this is the sound of the universe and creation. Conches find special mention in the Mahabharata where the beginning and end of the day was marked by blowing it.
The blowing of the conch is also beneficial to health in several ways - it improves the respiratory system and is said to have removed blockages in the heart.
Modern lifestyle and working patterns and hours don't allow us the luxury of performing these rituals with discipline however the more we try to inculcate these rituals in our daily lives the more good it will do to our physical and mental well being.
Twilight is a time to pause, to stop and the day's activities, to relax, to meditate and pray...to let the lights and the sounds play.
In most traditional Hindu families a lamp is lit in the Puja space during twilight as this is the time of transition and negative energies have greater power during this time. The lighting of the lamp is considered auspicious as it removes the negative energies.
As a child I found such joy when all the neighboring families blew the conches and the bells at twilight and the sound came reverberating through the blue and orange lights of dusk. It is believed that evil spirits are chased away when the conch is blown. The sound of 'Om' emanates from the conch and this is the sound of the universe and creation. Conches find special mention in the Mahabharata where the beginning and end of the day was marked by blowing it.
The blowing of the conch is also beneficial to health in several ways - it improves the respiratory system and is said to have removed blockages in the heart.
Modern lifestyle and working patterns and hours don't allow us the luxury of performing these rituals with discipline however the more we try to inculcate these rituals in our daily lives the more good it will do to our physical and mental well being.
Twilight is a time to pause, to stop and the day's activities, to relax, to meditate and pray...to let the lights and the sounds play.
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