Gruha Pravesham / House warming

I would like to share these auspicious moments with you all. This is one of my dreams. Not only mine, I think every one's dream to have a dream home.

Gruha Pravesham / Griha Pravesh ceremony is performed on the day when you start living into your new house. This is a very important occasion for any family. To start living, the entry into the new house on this auspicious day is termed as the Griha Pravesh ritual. 

It is believed that the new acquisition is susceptible to evil forces and jealousy and therefore various 'safeguard' ceremonies must be performed. This ceremony aims to appease the gods and planets so that the owner of the house is blessed with good fortune.

There are lots of rituals as part of this ceremony. On the day of the ceremony, house is cleaned and decorated with a garland of mango leaves, hung across the main doorway as a protective barrier against evil. Poles are erected outside the house around which banana leaves are wound and tied. Both the mango and the banana tree are considered auspicious, since they are symbols of fertility and prosperity.

Art of making beautiful garlands. My sister in law is an expert in making these marvellous maalas.

Final look

Mandhiram decorated for Lord Sathya Naarayana Swami vratham

My co-sister helped in decorating this.

Mala of Chrysanthemum.

Initially my husband and my brother-in-law have consulted the flower decorators to decorate the whole house. After hearing the unimaginable quotation, I have decided to do it by my self. Of course, with the help of my beloved family members. Trust me it has costed me only quarter of the amount which the decorators have quoted.

I only selected two colours of  chrysanthemum. Sewed in a pattern. Came out very well. 

This is one of the effortless work that any one can make the maala with chrysanthemum. One needs to have little bit of creativity,,, and the end result is ...

Chrysanthemum looks so elegant with white back ground

Another auspicious moment... entering into the house with offerings to God

Kalasha pooja

In a Silver or Copper vessel Water is taken and this water is to be Sanctified with mantra balam , to be used in Pooja,The doer of the Pooja after decorating kalasam with Kumkum and Gandham places his hands over the Kalasam and says few mantras.

Here we are invoking or inviting (avaahanam) and think that The Mukha( face ) of kalasam is Vishnuh, 

The neck part is rudra , At the Base is Brahma, in the centre part all matruganaas,in the stomack (inner part) is all Oceans on the Earth and all seven Dweepaas (islands) and the Entire earth (bhoomaata), and all Rug, yajur, saama and adharvana vedas are here in kalasam.

As part of the pooja we invite rivers (aavaahanam) into kalasajalam.

The Mantra is

'' GangeYcha yamunneYchaiva Godaavari Saraswati,

Narmadaa Sindhu Kaaveyri Jaley Asmin Sannidhim Kuru''

All these sacred River waters are now entered in Kalasam. Thus Kalasam is now sarva Devathaa roopam, sarva divya nadhee roopam and sarva vedha roopam.So Sacred.

Another ritual of griha pravesham - Boiling of milk till it over flows.

The family’s deities are enshrined in the Pooja Room and the lady of the house boils milk, till it overflows. The milk is shared between the family members. The Reasoning - The boiling-over of milk signifies that there will always be an (overflow) abundance of happiness, wealth and peace in the building. The sharing of milk signifies that the family should share the good and the bad always.

This ritual is done by my sister-in-law

The holy Homam

Homam is the ritual in which making offerings into a consecrated fire. The consecrated fire forms the focus of devotions

Homam - decorated by my Co-sister

Apart from the rituals we performed as part of the house warming ceremony, it is the family members who have involved in each and every part of the ceremony made our house as HOME.

Thanks to God who gave me such a wonderful family..

Thanks to one and each who made this as a memorable day...

Lastly, thanks to my nephew who captured the memorable events. Thanks Harsha