In India, most festivals start with worshipping gods and goddesses.
This is considered as a good omen and one welcomes chastity and
purity into a space by placing god before anyone and anything
else. Diwali is one of the grandest and celebrated festivals of
all, places utmost importance in gods and goddesses of Hindu
culture. A Puja (A sacred ceremony where idols or holy books are
worshipped) is an inseparable part of Diwali.
A Puja on a festival or occasion is as important as a Puja Thali
for that ceremony. A Puja thali is an ensemble of pure, chaste
and felicitous items needed for the Puja. It contains a variety
of items from rice, saffron, Mauli, flower petals, oil lamp,
kumkum, sweets, dry fruits and silver/gold coins in some cases
A Diwali Puja thali in India can have various items depending upon the
geographical region it is in.
Diwali Puja Thali in North, East, West & South
Diwali has different meanings in different parts of India.
For some, it is the homecoming of Lord Rama while for others it
is the abolishing of evil by killing a demon. Thus, each Diwali
Puja thali that is prepared by individuals in India differs from
the other.
The Diwali Thali in the North
Talking of a Diwali Puja Thali in Northern India, it has the
usual rice, kumkum, an oil lamp, and flower petals. However,
most are unaware that saffron in the northern Indian is a rich
and elegant spice used for rarest of rare occasions. Diwali
being one, saffron is kept in the Thali to pay homage in the
most pure and surreal manner possible.
Diwali Puja Thali of Southern India
Turmeric and sandalwood are an integral part of the South Indian
culture. Along with sacred, these two spices are considered as
medicinal herbs and have great importance in the food and
cooking style of the South. Thus, Diwali Puja Thali of South
India has turmeric, rice, oil lamp dipped in coconut oil and
marigold or jasmine flower petals in it.
East or West, Diwali is the best
The east and west as their geography suggests are different
cultures in India altogether. While the east considers having a
lavish Diwali feast, the west takes on a more subtle and quiet
way to celebrate this festival. In the west, Diwali Puja Thali
has kumkum along with rice and rose petals. The oil lamp is made
of groundnut or cotton oil and thali is either of bronze or
steel. While, in the east, Puja Thali for Diwali has a small
idol of goddess Durga along with rice, turmeric, and Mauli (red
threat that is tied on the wrist) along with some flower petals.
A Puja thali is one that can be used for multiple occasions and
festivals. While they are extremely popular and common in India,
they are now picking up pace abroad, amongst the Indian
communities settled there. Thus, one yarn for an authentic
Diwali puja Thali from India. The Puja thali can be a minimalist
take on simplicity or a grand one on elegance and charm. We
bring to you Diwali Puja thalis that may enhance your Diwali
experience and bring that sizzle to Diwali celebrations this
Diwali
The most gratifying part of all Diwali celebration is singing the glory of deities who have given us a multitude of blessings, and countless joys to be thankful for.
When we sing the praise of the Goddess, we are immersed in Her beauty and the effulgence that emanates from Her.
An important ritual while preparing for Diwali puja is
Decorating the Puja Thali. This is a laborious affair which involves thought, planning and an eye for aesthetics.
Just as you would make your way to a man’s heart through the stomach, the shortest, simplest way to reach God is through Puja. A large focus of the puja is the puja thali, since it contains all the most important elements require to make offerings to the Gods. Puja thalis can be decorated in several ways using various interesting objects that are eye catching.
Certain objects are mandatory features on a puja thali. These include vermillion or kumkum, some uncooked rice, a betel leaf and nut, a diya or two and a silver coin.
These find a prominent place on the puja thali since they are used in every puja, and extensively at that. While some of the elements are used as offerings or decorations to the Gods, the others are used as auspicious symbols and also for the aarti.
The puja thali can be as simple or as elaborate and extravagant as you would like it to be. They are readily available in the market in varieties of shapes and patterns,
though most women revel in the joy of making it themselves. Here are some suggestions on how you can make your puja thali a work of art. |
Authentic
Diwali Puja Thalis :
An authentic Diwali Puja thali would have an idol of Lord
Ganesha, Goddess Laxmi, and Saraswati. The plate would be
covered in red, orange or yellow colored cloth and there would
be three small bowls for rice, kumkum and lighting an oil lamp
in the third. One can add some flower petals like those of rose
or marigold along with some sweets or chocolates to place in the
Bhog. You can also keep a handful of Gulaal or rose water to
shower on the idols and the worshippers.
Creative Diwali Puja Thali :
creativity is the key
to invention. Rightly so, Diwali welcomes fresh concepts and
ideas every year and thus, get your hands on some of the most
creative and unique Diwali Puja Thali. You can buy a ceramic
plate or a marble one and use it as the base for the thali. You
can mix the kumkum, rice and turmeric/saffron and make a paste
of it and have enormous space for your Diya and sweets. This
thali can then be used as a normal plate of food or sweets once
the puja is done.
Minimalist
Diwali Puja Thali :
now, one may use metaphors in life and use a minimalist, simple
and soft Puja Thali for such a grand event. The idea is to
worship the gods and goddesses most purely and genuinely as
possible. One may take a normal plate of steel and draw a
swastika from the kumkum paste on the plate. A pinch of rice and
a piece or two of sweets along with an oil lamp would be a
perfect description of a minimalist Diwali puja thali.
Artist and
Sophisticated Puja Thali for Diwali :
The base of this thali can be a plate of bronze or silver
wrapped in a silk or satin cloth of pink or maroon. It can be
adorned with idols of gods and goddesses or can have silver
coins with their pictures to offer to the almighty. You can also
add a pinch of saffron and rice along with an oil lamp and
incense stick.
Floral
Diwali Puja Thali :
light up the room with
the freshness of flowers and the natural breathtaking fragrance
from the flowers this Diwali 2019. Flowers have been an integral
part of Puja since time immemorial and gods and goddesses
themselves used those in worship the eternal power there is.
Thus, pick a colorful, beautiful and extremely gorgeous Diwali
thali for your Puja and add some rose/jasmine/marigold/mogra
flower petals to it. You can also make this Puja thali with
banana leaves and make it an eco-friendly Diwali puja thali.
Traditional Puja Thali
:
The traditional puja thali may look rather common, but it is timeless, and is sure to last forever. It is pure, and available to all readily. For those looking to have a traditional Diwali Puja and use
Traditional Puja Decorations,
you can decorate the plate with the use of colourful little containers to place the rice, kumkum and coin.
Before you have started to place the objects, you can decorate the plate with an ‘om’ or swastika symbol using gulaal. This thali does not require too much skill or time, and can be made by the children in the house quite easily. This is a good way to involve them and allow them to participate actively in the puja.
Festive Puja Thali
:
This is the festival of Diwali, and there is enough reason to incorporate its elements into the making of your Puja Thali. Place some miniature candles in the thali and stick them on once you are happy with the effect. The candles can be placed to form a decorative pattern. You can also use candles in contrasting colours for a better effect. This gives a gorgeous illuminated effect, and you will see a bright halo as you perform your prayers.
Elegant Puja Thali
:
To give your puja thali a touch of elegance, use some tissue cloth or brocade at the base of the thali, and then carefully place the objects on it. You can also stick some jari along the rim of the thali to make it look more rich.
Puja Thali With a Touch of Class
:
For those who are not constrained by a budget, take a silver plate as the base for your puja thali. Using some small silver containers, place the rice and kumkum. Semi precious stones and gems can be used to decorate the thali, and you can place a silver lamp at the centre. Apart from being an exquisite decoration, it also makes an ideal
Diwali
Gift.
Floral Puja Thali:
When you cannot have enough of the flowers and use them generously around the house, why not make them the centre of your Diwali puja thali? Making a floral puja thali is quite simple and lots of fun. To start with, ensure that you have a slightly large thali. If you have small flowers, you can use them as they are. If they are big, start by removing the petals and combine various flowers to get a multi-coloured effect. Use the flowers and leaves to make small sections in the plate. You can stick them down. Within these small sections, you can place the kumkum, the rice and also the diyas. The petals themselves will make natural and pretty containers for you. Last
Updated : 10th October 2019
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