Day 006 | 6 January 2011 | Coconut
Camera : Nikon D60
Lenses : AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6G VR
Exposure Program : Aperture Priority
F-number : f/6.3
Shutter Speed : 0.3 s
Focal Length : 28 mm
Software : Photoshop Elements 6.0
View On Black
I took this shot late last year, during my cousin's engagement. The coconut plays an integral part in a Hindu ceremony. A quick check on wiki yielded the following result.
- A coconut (Sanskrit: narikela) is an essential element of rituals in Hindu tradition, and often is decorated with bright metal foils and other symbols of auspiciousness.
- It is offered during worship to a Hindu god or goddess. Irrespective of their religious affiliation, fishermen of India often offer it to the rivers and seas in the hopes of having bountiful catches.
- In Hindu wedding ceremonies, a coconut is placed over the opening of a pot, representing a womb.
- Hindus often initiate the beginning of any new activity by breaking a coconut to ensure the blessings of the gods and successful completion of the activity.
- The Hindu goddess of well-being and wealth, Lakshmi, is often shown holding a coconut.
- The coconut has a role in Indian daily life. In South India, for all the functions, where prayer take place, there, the Hindus, keep the coconut and banana, along with other 'Pooja' materials, and break open the coconut and after that only any kind of Pooja / prayers / activities will be started.
- In the Temple Town Palani, before going for the worship of God Murugan, at the foot hills of Palani Hills, for the Ganesha, a coconut will be broken at the place where it is marked for that purpose. Every day, thousands of coconuts are broken, and some devotees break even 108 coconuts at a time as per the prayer.
