INTRODUCTION
Ashwa Puja is an auspicious puja done for the Horse in order to express our love, affection and gratitude to this lovely animal.
Ashwa Puja is an important ritual performed to honour the horse, which would bring happiness, strength, and wealth in our lives. This special Puja is performed in order to get the blessings of Lord Hayagriva, Lord Surya Narayana and the Divine horse headed physicians Ashwini Kumaras. Ashwa puja would be usually performed on the Akshaya Tritiya festival day, in order to prosper in our lives.
Ashwa Pooja is also performed in order to remove the confusion in our mind, and it would invoke spiritual thoughts in our mind. We would become a rich and a generous person, and we would get permanent spiritual pleasure and peace of mind in our lives. This type of puja is performed since ancient times, and mostly the kings and the royal people would do it on auspicious days. Nowadays, this type of puja is done only in certain parts of India, since most of the people have forgotten the significance of this holy animal.
Horses helped the kings towards fetching their victory, and they also lost their lives during the battles. They would run faster, and would reach even the longest destination within a few hours. The first horse Uchaisravas was formed, while the Devas and Asuras were churning the milk ocean. It was possessed by the mighty demon king Prahalad, and also by his grandson Mahabali, and later on Lord Indra took possession of it, and it is believed that still the divine horse dwells in the Indra Loka.
It is the duty of the horse trainers to treat the animals in a kind manner, and to provide food at regular intervals. Performing puja to the horses is similar to performing puja to Lord Hayagriva itself, since Lord Vishnu took the form of the horse during his Hayagriva avatar. In ancient times, before the performance of Ashwameda Yagna, the horse would be attractively decorated with flowers, and puja would be done by the priests, and the person who performs the yagna would treat it with great love and affection, and also would worship it.
“OM”
WRITTEN BY
R.HARISHANKAR
