Worship: Essentials for Puja

If anyone offers me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, and water, I receive that, offered in devotion by the persons whose soul is disciplined. ~ Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. The various religions of world have different rituals and objects used in worship. Offerings to the Divine vary according to region, tradition or availability. But only one stream of thought runs though them all like a pure, flowing river. The predominant idea behind all offerings and prayers and puja (rituals of worship), is the surrender of oneself to the All Powerful, Absolute and Almighty and to seek His blessings, protection and forgiveness in our passage through life. Many of our traditions and rituals of worship have been lost over time- victims to the drift of cultures. Today, amidst the rush of modern living, our ways of the worship have become practice-by-rote, without the individual understanding the actual meaning of either the object used or the ritual and ultimately , the form of worship itself. With the loss of this rich legacy of deeper meaning, puja is bereft of that special communion with God, which all humans desire. This accessible and beautifully presented book , re- acquaints us with the meaning and purpose behind the objects we use in our puja , whether at home or in the temple. It gently informs and adds meaning and value to that most private of all human practices-worship.