Mass Pujas at Brahmasthanam Temples

"The malefic planetary conjunctions are the phases in one's life when one's aura gets darkened. Such a person is like one groping in the darkness. His thoughts and activities are misguided. The vibrations radiating from him displease others. It is possible to reduce the suffering due to the unfavourable position of planets through sincere reliance on God, the One who controls the planets. The Indwelling Lord cannot turn a deaf ear to a soulful prayer said with an open heart." ~ Amma

For more than three decades, people have been bringing all kinds of personal problems to Amma. She saw that many people were experiencing pain and suffering during certain astrological periods of their lives. The difficult periods were 'Sani dasa ', 'Rahu dasa', and 'Chovva dasa'. (Saturn, Rahu and Mars respectively). Dasa means period. These planets are like warning lights flashing on the dashboard of a car.

When they appear in the horoscope of someone it means that difficult times will arise. These difficulties are not caused by the planets themselves. They arise due to our own past actions and manifest in those particular planetary phases. Amma found that the hostile effects could be overcome, or at least minimised, if the person suffering performed certain spiritual practices that She prescribed. The devotees reported to Her that they were really helped by these practices. Amma then systematised the practices into mass pujas so that they could be offered on a wider scale.

Puja Settings

For the Mangal (Mars) Puja, a triangle is drawn with rice powder and some turmeric powder is placed in its centre in the form of a dot.

A plantain leaf - containing sesame seeds, an incense stick, vermilion, betel leaf and an arecanut - is placed over the triangle. The participants in the puja place a small coin as dakshina (offering) on this betel leaf. Two mud lamps are kept on top of the plantain leaf. One contains camphor and the other a sliced lemon peel containing oil and a wick.

For the Rahu Puja, the materials are placed on a plantain leaf. The main materials consist of three mud lamps. The first lamp contains camphor, the second a yellow liquid to be used in abhishekha (ritual bath) of the image using a small bilva leaf, the third contains oil and a wick. This oil lamp is lit right at the onset of the puja

On the plantain leaf are a turmeric ball, an incense stick and a betel leaf. On the betel leaf is placed an arecanut. The participants in the puja place a small coin as dakshina (offering) on this betel leaf.

For the Sani (Saturn) Puja the materials are placed on a plantain leaf. The materials consist of three mud lamps and a mud pot. The first lamp contains camphor, the second a red liquid, the third contains oil and a wick. The mouth of the mud pot is covered with a plantain leaf. It contains consecrated water. The oil lamp is lit right at the onset of the puja.

On the plantain leaf is an incense stick and a betel leaf. On the betel leaf is placed an arecanut. The participants in the puja place a small coin as dakshina (an offering) on this betel leaf.