A Puja Thali is a metal plate, usually made up of copper, brass,
steel, silver and sometimes even gold, in which are kept all those
accessories(puja samagri) that are required to perform the
puja(worship) of Gods and Goddesses. The Diwali Puja Thali is vital
to the worship of Goddess Lakshmi and her brother Lord Ganesh that
is an integral part of Diwali celebrations. During Diwali, Hindus
worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and Ganesh, the God of
auspicious beginnings, to usher in wellbeing and prosperity to
individual homes.
Offering prayers is done with great dedication and devotion in all
religions and the Puja Thali is an inherent part of performing
prayer rituals among Hindus. It is required during the worship of
Lord Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi(the deities associated with Wealth
and Prosperity) through Aartis, or prayer songs. A typical Diwali
Thali consists of scared ingredients for Hindu worship like unbroken
rice grains(Akshat), rice paste, roli for tilak(a sacred coloured
mark drawn on the forehead), sweets and seasonal fruits for
prasad(food offering to God), incense sticks(Dhoop/Agarbatti ),
sandalwood paste, camphor(korpur), coconut(narial), betel
leaves(Paan patta), a small pot filled with water(Kalash), gold or
silver coins with images of Hindu holy symbols (Om, Swastik or Shree),
candles(Mombatti), aarti-diya(lamp for worship), a hand bell(Ghanti),
sacred crimson string (Kalava or mouli) to tie around the wrist, and
petals of some colorful flowers. These are the items that the women
hold in both their hands throughout the period of worship(Puja).
A Diwali Puja Thali is a plate, generally made out of copper or
occasionally gold, that is utilized to store all those accessories
that are necessary during the worship of Lord Ganesha and Goddess
Lakshmi. Adorned Diwali Puja Thalis having all the Puja accessories
can be bought from the market but the contentment and the delight of
decorating this exceptional Thali by ones own hands produces in an
individual a sense of divine feeling. The diverse accessories are
placed quite beautifully on the Thali that the womenfolk of the
house carry in their hands. Thus the Puja Thali has great importance
for the Diwali celebrations in which the worship of Goddess Lakshmi
is the central theme.
Adorning the Puja Thali is one of the most interesting activities to
perform on Diwali day. It needs great care, patience and
meticulosity to arrange for and place decoratively all the necessary
items for worship on the thali. During Diwali, this has
traditionally been done since ancient times by the womenfolk of
Indian homes. Though these days, one can find beautifully decorated,
readymade Puja Thalis in the market, it gives immense joy,
satisfaction and pleasure to decorate one yourself. And it fills you
with enchantment and a spiritual feeling while you invoke divine
blessings for yourself and your loved ones.
The Thali decoration is a vital aspect of the Diwali rituals and
hence, much care is taken in assembling together all the items
needed for decorating the thali. Hindu kids greatly enjoy decorating
the thali and consider it a privilege to recieve the permission to
do so. However, just before the puja it is up to the ladies of the
home to ensure that the thali is in proper order for it is to be
remembered that all items on the plate are actually offerings to the
deities.
The beautifully designed Diwali Puja Thalis are simply indispensable
in performing worships during the festival of lights. This is how
you can decorate traditionally a typical Diwali Puja Thali:
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1) Take a thali of gold, silver, steel, copper, brass or any
other metal of your choice. The shape can be round, oval or any
other mold of your preference.
2) Take some roli in a small bowl and mix little water in it
to make a paste and draw with it religious symbols such as 'Om',
'Swastika' or 'Shree' or images of deities in the middle of the
plate.
3) Cover the entire plate with bright colored piece of cotton
cloth having a traditional print(traditional Rajasthani prints look
just great) or designer gift wrap paper sheet. Then draw over it
traditional designs. Play up the corners of the plate with a lace or
zari(a type of thread made of fine gold or silver wire) of a color
that is in contrast to the base. You can also glue glitter paste and
golden sequins to decorate the thali.
4) Deck up the thali with green betel leaves, which will make
it look beautiful. Then put the sundry puja accessories on the thali
in the right manner to make it look elegant.
5) Finally, cover the puja thali with petals of marigold,
rose or any other flower used in sacred Hindu festivals. Decorate
various designs with single color petals or a combination of
different rangoli colors.
Happy Deepavali to everyone!
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