Significance of Hindus Burning Incense Sticks During Pooja

by Neha Gupta Content marketer

The smell of incense sticks wafting through the air. You close your eyes and feel at peace. There’s calm and surrender. What are we talking about? The lighting of lighting incense sticks during prayer or ‘pooja’ is a Hindu ritual that has deep significance. There are spiritual incense sticks available so you can use them for your prayers.

 So, what’s the significance, and why anyone should light an incense stick, you ask? Here are the reasons:

 •   The belief is that certain fragrances attract positive energies or a divine consciousness and helps beat negativity. This is why incense sticks are placed while praying. The presence of spiritual incense sticks heightens positive vibes and increases the spiritual nature of the place. Certain fragrances in the incense allow you to calm your mind and focus on the deity.

 •   It is a belief that the smoke that emanates from the agarbatti aka incense is believed to carry prayers to the deities who are believed to reside in heaven.

 •   Hindu rituals say the lighting of spiritual incense sticks is a way of paying obeisance to the five elements that are crucial for all of life.

 •   There is also a belief that the aroma of incense sticks is associated with the earth. The earth element in all of us is Mooladhara Chakra (root chakra). This chakra is associated with a sense of smell. It is important to balance this chakra with smells like sandalwood, patchouli and cinnamon. Lighting incense with these scents will help in keeping a person connected to the earth and stay balanced.

 •   The other connotation of burning spiritual incense sticks is that just as the sticks burn slowly and get reduced to ashes, and leave their fragrance everywhere, we should also be there for our fellow human beings and serve humanity. The fragrance is the impact of what we do — it lingers on.

 •   Apart from these above reasons, incense also removes any bad odours in the air, so you can meditate peacefully. And then there’s the question of keeping insects at bay. When you are praying, you’d not want to be disturbed by flies or insects that bite. When you light incense, the smoke and smell keeps the insects away.

 With so many good qualities, there’s nothing that can stop you from lighting an incense stick at home! Choose from a variety of scents and ensure that your home not just smells good, but also has a sacred and inviting ambience. 

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Created on May 25th 2018 05:32. Viewed 383 times.

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