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Kaufman Interfaith Institute (exhibitor)
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Puja is a religious ritual practiced in many Indian homes, including mine as an Indian living in America. In this ritual, lamps are lit as an offering to the divine. The light from the lamp symbolizes knowledge and the power of the sacred, while the wick represents the ego, and the oil signifies our negative tendencies. When lit by spiritual knowledge, these negative tendencies are gradually eliminated, and the ego eventually perishes. There are various ways of performing puja: light lamps in front of a deity, some in front of the Tulasi plant, and some light lamps at dawn and dusk. The type of oil and wick used also holds significance. For instance, cow's ghee ensures radiance, prosperity, health, and happiness. Similarly, a cotton wick brings prosperity and all good fortune. The chanting of slokas or hymns also accompanies the lighting of the lamp. The shloka "Subham Karoti Kalyanam, Arogyam Dhana Sampadah, Shatru Buddhi Vinashaya, Deepa Jyotir Namostute" is commonly chanted while lighting the lamp, seeking the divine's blessings for prosperity, good health, and the destruction of opposing forces.
