Holy Thread

[Sb1995]

'Abir' and 'Gulal', yellow and red, nice colors, happy colors, auspicious. We sprinkle that on the lingam at the time of 'abhishekam'. Actually threads of two colors are made into one thread and that is bound on the wrist. Or the thread is rolled with kumkumam (roli). The following is the only karma-kandi chant (while tying the thread on the wrist) that I remember from my childhood:

"Yada badhnandakshyayana hiranyam shatanikayah sumanasya mana, tadma abadhname shat sharaddhyaya chobhayam lokaviram rakshasya me keshavah, twam jiva sharadam shatam."

Don't know if I have written it correctly. Also I do not know complete meaning.

I see, but it still doesn't make sense to me. It's only north Indians (punjabi) that hold such superstitions..Ganeshji is depicted as black, Shiva Lingam is black..

 

[Aupmanyav]

Ganeshji is depicted as black, Shiva Lingam is black..

Your avatara and the image that you use in your signature show exactly the opposite, though I have nothing against Ganesha as being shown black or of dark color. I would bow to that also.

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

GaneshJi is red

GaneshJi is black

GaneshJi is white

GaneshJi is fair skinned

GaneshJi is yellow

I can go on and on and on and on forever, enumerating all the qualities and colors of the infinite Ganesha, WHY does it matter the "true" color of a murti for the one that hold the entire universe in His belly ?

 

[Sb1995]

Your avatara and the image that you use in your signature show exactly the opposite, though I have nothing against Ganesha as being shown black or of dark color. I would bow to that also.

That's because I am north Indian myself and in our mandirs Ganapatiji is shown like that.

 

[Andal]

I wear the kalava (red/yellow). I tie it on my left wrist (unmarried woman) when I do a puja. As for differences in colors, I really have no idea. I thought everyone tied a red thread.

Learned something new today

Aum Hari Aum!