Pooja Thali

The Pooja Thali is a completre set of auspicious items used for worship, celebrations , rituals in a Hindu home. Be it a Pooja, welcoming a new born baby, a Birthday or Raksha Bandhan, the pooja thali is polished and arranged. It has the regular Kumkum ( Roli, vermillion) , haldi ( turmeric) , Chawal ( rice), Mouli Dhaga ( red & yellow thread), Diya ( lamp). For other elaborate worship , other items added to the thaali are supari ( beetlenut), laung elaichi ( cloves and cardamom) , dried fruits, misri / batassa ( cane sugar candy), kapoor (Camphor), taal makhana (lotus seed), mithai (sweets) , agarbatti ( incense sticks), chandan powder ( sandalwood) and a gold coin.

Marriage ceremony

A scene of a hindu wedding, recreated using the auspicious beetle nuts and dessicated coconut. The scene depicts the priest ( one each from the brides and grooms side ) , facing each other and the bride and groom. The sacred fire ( Agni) is in the middle. Other items placed are the sacred water pot with mango leaves and coconut ( kalash) on the right of the bride ( she is on the left , wearing a green saree) , a plate of laddoos on the grooms left, a pot of Ghee ( clarified butter) which the priest on the left is pouring into the fire and a stack of wood, placed next to the priest on the right. The Hindu marriage is performed over a period of many days. The pre and post marriage rituals are spread out accortding to the convenience of the bride and grooms families and visiting relatives.