Prana Pratishtha

Practised in the temples of Hinduism and Jainism, the ritual is considered to infuse life into the Hindu temple, and bring to it the numinous presence of divinity and spirituality.

The ceremony marks the recognition of the image of god to represent "a particle of the divine whole, the divine perceived not in man's image as a separate entity but as a formless, indescribable omnipresent whole", with the divine presence a reminder of its transcendence and to be beheld in one's inner thoughts during darśana in the temple.

The Sanskrit word pratiṣṭhā, which in general usage means "exerting" or "placement", used in connection with a murti is translated by Apte as "the consecration of a vessel or dwelling". The corresponding adjective pratiṣṭha means "installed" or "consecrated". Prana means "life force, breath, spirit". The phrase Prana Pratishtha is a ritual that means "establishment of the image in its vital breath" or "bringing life to the temple". It is also referred to as Murti Sthapana (image placement inside the temple), or the composite word Pranapratishtha. Traditionally, this was the step when the eye of the murti was sculpted open, inside the garbhagriha (Purusha space of the temple) of a Hindu temple.

This ritual typically involves a Puja, chanting of Sanskrit mantras, as the deity is moved from outside into the center place. It includes inviting the deity as a resident guest of the temple, bathing and cleansing the deity, similar to welcoming a revered guest after a long journey. This is followed by dressing and seating the deity in a place of comfort, with the image's face oriented towards the east (signifying the sunrise), followed by Nyasa ceremony with hymns (act of touching different parts of the murti, symbolizing the presence of various gods as sensory organs – Indra as the hand, Brahma as the heart, Surya as the eyes, etc.). The priest recites specific mantras and performs rituals to infuse the idol with prana. During this process, the deity descends into the idol, making it a living representation. After the infusion of prana, the deity is considered consecrated and blessed. Devotees often seek the deity's blessings at this point. The ritual also includes the spraying of scented water and flowers, with the Chaksu͡unmilan ceremony (Sanskrit: "chakshu unmilan", opening of the divine eye) marking the high point of the ritual. The image is then considered as consecrated. In large and ceremonial public temples, the murti may be retired at sunset just like a guest retiring to bed, and then woken up at sunrise with pleasantries, washing, offering of fresh clothes, food and interaction with the devotees. Some temples may include elaborate procession, as community events such as traditional singing and dancing events to mark the celebration.

A special type of consecration is used for festival icons (Sanskrit: utsava vigraha) for the purpose of parading the deity for the community to receive the vision (Sanskrit: darśaṇa) of the deity.

Another term used for consecration in the Jain tradition is añjana śalākā, the "eye-opening" rite by which a qualified practitioner "enlivens" a murti for worship.

Digambara Jains consecrate the statue of a Jina by the ritual of Abhisheka, where the statue is awakened by pouring of auspicious liquids such as water, clarified butter, coconut milk, yellow sandalwood water, cow milk and other liquids successively. The temple is considered active only when the main Jina image has been consecrated. The ritual of consecrating an image to bring "life to temple" is attested in medieval Jain documents.

Cited sources

• Sadhguru, Jaggi Vasudev. "Prana Pratishtha – The Science of Consecration". Sadhguru.org.
• Apte, Vaman Shivram (1965). The Practical Sanskrit Dictionary. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. ISBN 81-208-0567-4. (Fourth revised and enlarged edition).
• Doniger, Wendy, ed. (1993). Purāṇa Perennis: Reciprocity and Transformation in Hindu and Jaina Texts. Albany, New York: State University of New York. ISBN 0-7914-1382-9.
• Gavin Flood, ed. (2003). The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-4051-3251-5.