Cakrapujā
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Cakrapujā literally means ‘worship in a circle’.
The cult of the Devi or the Divine Mother, though originate from the Ṛgveda itself,[1] gradually developed into two main channels:
- The Dakṣiṇamārga or the right-handed path
- The Vāmamārga or the left-handed path
One such rite is the cakrapujā or ‘worship in a circle’. According to the Kaulāvalinirnaya an equal number of men and women, without distinction of caste or even blood relationship, meet at night and sit in a circle. The goddess is represented by a yantra or diagram. The women cast their bodices in a receptacle and each of the assembled men finds a female companion for that night by picking up a bodice from the same.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore