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Home > Temples of Kerala > Temple rites Mandapa-samskaaraAn important rite done on the forenoon of the third day (in case the prathishta rite is on the fourth day) or forenoon of flith day (in case the prathishta ceremony is on the sixth day) is the mandapa-samskaara ie, erection of a mandapa facing the sreekovil meant for dhyanadhivaasa of the Aachaarya. The shape of the mandapa is generally square with exceptions like rectangle for maathriksha and triangle for Jeshta. Mandapa of Bhagavathi has thoranas (open doors) with two pillars, beam at the top for each side and dwajas. The rites start with self-purificatory rites (like deha-suddhi, sankha-pooranam, aathmaaraadha etc) of Aachaarya followed by Ganapathi pooja for warding off obstacles besides twining of cotton thread, and durbha cord. After sprinkling water at the main thorana the mandpa is tied with the purified cotton thread by chanting manthras. It is followed by tying the vaamata (a wooden plank fixed across at the top of the rafters) with leaves of specified trees and the durbha-cord. Then prathista and thoranas is done. Every step viz; digging the pit, purification of pit , purification of thoranas etc, is done by chanting the concerned manthras and displaying the related mudhra. After the thorana prathishta , dwaja-pradhishta is done starting from the southern pillar of the thorana and proceeding the clock-wise direction by the reciting manthras of concerned Devathas. The dwaja-Devathas for each deity is different. Then bali is offered for thorana-Devatha as well as for dwaja-Devathas Another rite along with it is the laying of swadik-padma on eaither side of the dwaara and keeping of kalasas upside down over a peetha of paddy. After
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