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Home > Temples of Kerala > Temple rites Dhwaja-prathishthaDwaja-prathishta can be done either along with the consecration rites of the principal deity or separately on a later occasion. In the first case the dwaja-sthhaapana is done on the aftemoon o(the first day (paragraph 5.24) and the vaahana and ashta-dik-paalas are subjected to jaloddhivaasa (immersal) in a tank or a jaladroni (a big trough) on the aftemoon of the second day followed by jaloddhaara (retrieval) done on the aftemoon of the fifth day and kept by the side of sayya. The nethra-unmeelanam of vaahana and ashta-dik-paalas (if any) is done similar to the ceremonies of bimba of the principal deity. Accordingly bimba-suddhi-kalasa-pooja (five kalasas for Vishhu and nine for others) is done at the Isaana-kone (north-east) after sthhala-suddhi, and laying of padma. The kalasas are filled up with different materials depending on the deity and pooja done. Then after homa the sampaatha is placed inside the kalasas and covered with a cloth. All these are done on the aftemoon of the seventh day, in the case of nine day prathishta rites. On the otherhand if the dwaja-prathishta is done an a later occasion these ceremonies are on the previous day of the prathishta. The rites are similar to those for principal deity such as mandapa-samskaara, sayya-pooja, nidra-kalasa pooja, kalasa-pooja, prasanna-pooja, nethronmeelana, bimba-suddhi-kalasa etc. The Aachaarya has to observe dhyaanaadhivaasa on that day. Besides these, poojas are done at the northem-side of dwaja on an ashta-dala-padma, and also adhivaasa-homa. On the day of dwaja-prathishta poojas are done near the base of the dwaja, after the usha-pooja of the main deity. A peculiar rite associated with dwaja prathishta is the taking of the vaahana to the garbha-grha and offering of nivedya succeeded by aavaahana by vaahana-manthra and by special manthras, vyaapaka and nyaasa done to flag, bells etc with the accompaniment of musical and percussion instruments, particularly paani. Then vaahana is taken over to the top of the dwaja and prathishta done. The procedure is elaborate and all the details are not given, as it involves various minute steps. (For further details refer to the section on dwaja-prathishta given in Kuzhikkatt paccha, pages 167 to 173). It is significant to note that dwaja-prathishta is equally important as the prathishta of the principal deity.
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