We supply all the traditional ingredients and so there is a lot of preperation work!
One of the great enjoyments of India is the abundance of fresh flowers. Here you see a beautiful fresh carnation mala, 10-12 feet long, ready for the final decoration of the Shiva lingam. Obviously the mala is hand-made, and requires hundreds of flowers tightly packed together.
The abishekam takes several hours during which various vedic hymns are chanted, and always Rudram from Yajur Veda. Here you see the offering of milk. It is interesting to note that this lingam is a little unusual because rather than having smooth sides, it has a series of almost flat faces, so the milk runs down in little rivulets.
There are 11 ingredients in a traditional rudra abishekam, and afterwards the lingam is coated in vibhuti; the sacred ash that is a favorite of Shiva. Afterwards the vibhuti is collected and given to all who visit the temple during Shivaratri.
Then the lingam is dressed and decorated in a new dhoti, flower malas, bilva leaves, sandalwood and kumkum, and of course rudraksha beads.
This temple is small and the area is not wealthy, so our contribution is really important to the surrounding area. In addition, we arranged for a free meal to be served at the temple throughout the day and night, and served a total of 350 people.
Certainly none of this would be possible without your kind participation. May Shiva's blessings surround you throughout the coming year!
