What is Nijabhishekam
Nijabhishekam is an abhishekam: a sacred bath of the deity, in which offerings are poured over the Lord one after another while mantras are chanted. Bathing the deity is one of the acts of a temple's routine daily worship, alongside offering food, waving lamps and singing.
At Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Yadagirigutta, Nijabhishekam is offered to Lord Lakshmi Narasimha and is listed among the temple's early-morning sevas, after Suprabhatham, Archana and Balabhogam. The temple offers it in two forms: for one person, or for a couple.
The temple's name for it puts the Sanskrit word nija, meaning "one's own", "innate" or "true", before abhishekam. The sources consulted do not explain why the temple uses this name, so this article does not guess.
What devotees seek
In Vaishnava teaching, the bath is not given because the Lord needs cleansing. It is offered so that the one who offers it is cleansed: the substances that touch the Lord are held to carry his grace back to the devotee. Abhishekam is also described as symbolising the purification of the devotee's soul.
Each offering carries a meaning
- Milkthe Lord's pure nature, above all his compassion.
- Curdfirm faith in the Lord.
- Gheedevotion, matured.
- Honeya wish (sankalpa) made intense. Devotees are taught to align their wish with the Lord's wish for the good of all.
- Fruita wish that has borne fruit.
Because it is offered for one person or for a couple, Nijabhishekam suits personal occasions: a birthday, a wedding anniversary, the start of a married life, or a new beginning after a hard time.
What happens
In outline: the priest states the intention of the offering, then pours the offerings over the deity one after another while mantras are chanted. Substances used in abhishekam include milk, curd, ghee, honey, panchamrita, rose water and sandalwood paste. Which substances Yadagirigutta uses, and in what order, could not be confirmed from an official source.
What you receive
When you book through VedaJyoti, you receive a recorded video of the abhishekam.