Spirituality

Praan Pratishtha (Spiritual Consecration) – Energizing the Deities

In spiritual terms, consecration means transforming the physical into the non-physical. But more importantly, it means turning a mere statue into a God. Also known as Praan Pratishtha, consecration, when performed for idols of Gods, is the process of inviting the deity to reside in the idol. In spiritual terms, consecration means energizing the deities. In this blog, we will understand the meaning of consecration, how to perform it, and its benefits. 

Meaning of Consecration – 

The ‘Secr’ in consecration comes from the Latin sacer “sacred.” Consecration broadly means dedicating an object, a person, a place, and activity for a sacred purpose. This definition does, in a way, coincide with the spiritual meaning of consecration. In spirituality, consecration is the process of transforming or charging a person, place, object, or activity energetically. Consecration is turning things with limited possibilities into divine possibilities. Consecration of idols, yantras, talismans, places of worship, homes, offices, beaded necklaces, crystals, food, and people themselves are a few examples of spiritual consecration. 

How to Perform Praan Pratishtha (Spiritual Consecration)

While there are different forms of Praan Pratishtha, we will begin with learning how to perform it on an idol. Once we are comfortable with the concept, we can move on to workspaces, homes, temples, talismans, crystals, and ourselves. You can follow these simple steps for the Praan Pratishtha or Energizing the Deity – 

1. If you don’t already have one, then get an idol of your Ishta Deva* from the market. Also, notice that certain idols will attract you more than others. For instance, when buying a Maa Durga Idol, her smile or eyes might fascinate you, or while buying Lord Krishna’s idol, his flute or the peacock feather might attract you. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the features mentioned above only; it can be anything, but something about the idol, will appeal to you, and that is how you will know which idol you should buy. An excellent way to choose the idol is also closing your eyes, visualizing your Ishta Deva* and asking them to help you select the idol; after all, they are going to reside in it. 😊 
2. After bringing the idol home, place it in a large vessel that is not fully covered and bathe the idol – first with water, then with milk, then with a bit of honey, curd, sugar, and ghee (clarified butter). Now again, bathe it with water and gently wipe it dry.
3. Now dress the idol in good quality washable clothes, as in the image below (image of idol dressed in traditional clothing)
4. Now adorn them with jewels and accessories as in the image below (image of the idol with jewels and accessories on)
5. Now comes the part where we chant special mantras to energize the deity. There are different mantras for different Gods and their forms, and hence it is difficult to mention them here. But you can speak to your Guruji, and they can guide you to the Mantras required to invite your Ishta Deva*. You will feel a surge of energy in the room, your body, and the idol once your Ishta Deva* has entered the idol.
6. Now, offer them flowers, sattvic* food, and water—light ghee (clarified butter) on their left and a mustard oil lamp on their right. Also, light incense and camphor.  
7. Thank them for bestowing you with this honor, sing their praises, and request them to stay with you, blessing you every step of the way. 
8. Once the Praan Pratishtha is done, make sure you bathe the idol every day and offer fresh flowers, freshly cooked sattvic* food, light lamps as mentioned above, along with incense and camphor. 

You will notice a significant change in the energy of your space, yourself, and your life. From small to big, negative energies, people, things, and situations will begin disappearing from your life and be replaced by positivity. You will soon start experiencing the benefits of Praan Pratishtha in your life and see the ripples of positivity create waves of success. It is essential to understand that you need to thank the deity every day for their presence and follow all the steps in point number 8 consistently to show your gratitude towards God. 

We hope this blog helped you understand the concept of Praan Pratishtha better. We will soon share blogs about how to consecrate other items like talismans, Yantras, crystals, spaces, and ourselves. Please feel free to write to us at info@chamundaswamiji.com for any queries.