D.I.Y.

VahanaPuja(CarPrayers)

Whatisacarpuja?Simplyput,it'saceremonytoconsecrateorblessanew
car in the Lord's name and keep it safe from any mishaps/unfortunate
occurrences. Or as I like to say it's a gratitude prayer to the Lord for
allowing you to have this car. And when performing these prayers it's
sayingtotheLordYouaretheREALproprietorofthiscarandIamusing
itinYourservice.
UsamazingHindus:)blessallitemsandimplementsthatareusedindaily
lifehomes,cars,motorizedvehiclesofalltypes,homeappliances,suchas
mixers,grinders,stoves,TVs,stereos,etc.Especiallywhenonemovesintoa
new/a previously used house, one performs a Griha Pravesha Samskara
i.o.w'stheHouseEnteringPujatoasktheSupremeLordtoblessthenew
house.
OnemustrealizetheeverythingbelongstotheSupremeLordandweshow
our gratitude to Him for giving/allowing us to have certain things. The
questionbegsbuttheVahanaPuja(CarPuja)isntinourshastrasright?.
Wellit'snot.BecausewhenourshastraswascompiledespeciallybySrila
Vyasadeva over 5000 years ago cars of these days of course didnt exist
then.Thefirstmoderncarwasinthelate1800's.5000yearsagoChariots
pulledmainlybyhorseswereused.
Here,wewilltrytoexplainthispuja.However,pujadetailsmayvaryfrom
'priest'to'priest'asinIndiaineveryvillage/town,thepujaisslightly
differenttothenext.Thisarticleisaimstomakethispujasosimplethat
anyonecanperformit...Wedontmeantotakethepriestawayfromthese
prayers it's just Indians are moving to far, distant places and hence its
quitedifficulttoacquireapriest'sserviceswhenneededattimes.
ThePujaProper
Thedevoteeshouldhaveabathandputoncleanclothesbeforeproceeding
tothecarforthepuja.HavealltherequirementsforthePujaarranged
beforehandonatray.
Justbeforetheprayersbegin,makesurebeforehandthecariswashedand
wiped from any water residues. Then sprinkle a little hurdee (turmeric)
waterintheinsideandthenoutsideofthecar.(JustalittlepinchofHurdi
inasmalllotaofwaterwilldo)
Pouralittlewaterintoyourhandfromyoursmalllota(separatetotheone
withhurdiwater)andsipitthreetimeschanting"OmVishnu"(Washyour
handsaftereachOmVishnuchant).Nowwipeyourhands.
StandinfrontofthecarandchantOmShreeGaneshayaNamahX3.Pray
toLordGaneshtoremoveanyobstaclesinthepathtoyourcarpuja.

Stillremainingstandinginfrontofthecarandonatray(whichshould
haveincense,aclaylampwithawickandoilinitandoneflowerlikein
thepicturebelow).In aclockwisedirectionturnthetray(whichhasthe
incense,lampandflower)7timesaroundthecarandpraytotheLordthat
thiscarbeprotectedbyHimatalltimesandtoblessthecar.

Thenwithchandan(someusekumkumorhardi,Ipreferchandan)which
isalreadyinasaucer(beforehandtheChandanwhichismixedwithwater
ismadeintoamoist/wettishpaste).Nowwithyourringfingerstartingfrom
thefrontinaclockwisedirectiondrawaSwastikasign/oranOMsignonall
the windows and tyres praying to the Lord all the while. After each
swastika is drawn, take a little uncooked rice and say Om Swasti x3.
Every time you say Om Swasti sprinkle some white grains on that
Swastika.Thisistoblesstheswastikaandgiveitmorepower.

GoodLuckEmbleminHinduism.
*** "TheSwastika" isonetheoldest emblemsknown toman.Secondin
importance only to the Om. The term 'Svastika' is a fusion of the two
Sanskrit words 'Su' (good) and 'Asati' (to exist), which when combined
means 'May Good Prevail', also the word svastika is a statement of
affirmation,"Itis!""Lifeisgood!""Thereisvalue""Thereismeaning!".It
formsacombinationoffour"L's"standingforLuck,Light,LoveandLife.
***OM(Aum)isamysticalorsacredsyllableintheIndianreligions,i.e.
Hinduism,Buddhism,andJainism.Omisthemostimportantmantrain
SanathanDharma(Hinduism).ItisplacedatthebeginningofmostHindu
textsasasacredincantationtobeintonedatthebeginningandendofa
readingoftheVedasorpriortoanyprayerormantra.
Placeonelimeandasmallpieceofcamphorinfrontofeachofthe4tyres.
(Pleasetakecautionkeepthesmallpieceofcamphorabitawayfromthe
tyre.)Whiletheownerofthecarnowsitsinthedriversseattwofamily
members/friendsmustnowlightthefourpiecesofcamphorsveryquickly
(thetwomustbeoneithersideofthecar).Thepersonwhowillmainlybe
drivingthevehiclethendrivesthecarforwardoverthelimeandcamphor
andthenbackwardsoverthelimeandcamphor.Thisisdoneforatotalof3
times.
***TheLimesymbolizestheremovalofbadinfluencesfromthevehicle.

Takeawholepumpkin/orcoconutandplaceasmallpieceofcamphoronit.
Light the camphor and standing in front of the car, turn it 3 times
clockwise,andthenupanddown3times. Thendiscardthecamphorand
thenbreakthepumpkin/coconutametreinfrontofthecar(takecautionnot
tohityourcarwiththepumpkin/coconutwhenbreakingit).Thisprocedure
is always done to start a ceremony or initiate an auspicious occasion to
bringingoodfortuneanddriveawaytheevil.AtthestartofeveryRatha
YatraFestival(TheChariotFestival)coconutsarebrokenbeforethestart
of the chariots journey. This also can be likened to a custom were a
champagnebottleisbrokenagainstaship'shullbeforeitsmaidenvoyageto
blessthevoyagewithgoodfortune.

*** Some Hindus perform the following... After offering the coconut as
above,theownerofthecarwillbreakthecoconutneartherightfronttyre
andsprinklethecoconutwateronthetyresstartingfromthefrontright
tyregoinginaclockwisedirectiontakenote,thisisoptional.
Placeasmallgarland(whichhasbeenplacedbyyourlampforblessings
priorto this prayer)at thefront ofthecargenerally bythe grill or the
windscreenwiper.
If you so desire you can stick/attach a picture/small murti of Lord
Krishna/Mother Durga/Shree Hanumanji/Lord Shiva/Lord
Ganesh/***VahanYantra(orwhicheverformyoumaylike)etcinsome
placesuitableinthecar(Butthisisoptional).
*** The 'Vaahan' is vehicle and 'Durghatna' is accident. As the name
denotes,thisYantraensuresprotectionfromaccidents,injury,orothermis
haps,especiallythoserelatedtovehicles.Itactsasashieldtoprotectand
savetheworshipperfromanysuchmisfortunes,andensureshisown,his
family'sandhisbelonging'ssafetyduringjourneys.

VahanDurghatnaNashakYantra
YoucanpurchasethisfromtheInternetbutitcanbeexpensive,soIwould
suggestforyoutoprinttheaboveyantraandthenlaminateitandthen
performaverysimplepujatoinstalllifeintotheYantra.
Howyoudothis?PlacethelaminatedYantraatyourlampplace.Sprinklea
littlewaterontheyantraandthendottheYantrawithchandan.Lightan
incenseandturntheincensearoundtheyantra7times.Keeptheincense
asidethenlayafreshflowerontheyantra.Closeyoureyesandconcentrate
ontheSupremeLordtoblessyouwithwishes.Nowwithallsincerity,ask
theSupremeLordtograntyouthedesireofyourlifethatyouwantedtobe
fulfilledinyourownlanguage.
NowchanttheBeejaMantraoftheaboveYantraninetimes.
"OmAumHraamHreemShreeVayuPutreyeNamah"
Afterthisyoucanplacetheyantrainyourcarataviewableplace.
Collecttheremnantsofthepumpkin/coconut,lime,etcanddisposeofinthe
river.Some peopleeatthepumpkin(whichofcourseiscookedfirst),and
thecoconutiskeptasprashadam(holyfoodofferinggiventoGodduring
pujasandeatenlater).
Theinformationbelowisextremelyimportantandpricelesswithregardsto
what colour car you should purchase and which day of the month is
auspiciousforyouaswell...
Ifyouarebornonthe:1st,10th,19th,28th
Yourfavorabledatesofthemonth:1,4,8,10,13,17,19,22,26,28,31.
Yourfavorabledaysoftheweek:SundayandMonday
YourmainDeitiesyoushouldalwaysworship:HanumanjiandSuryadeva
Yourfavorablecolours:Red,BrownandGrey.
Yourinauspiciouscolours:BlueandYellow.
Ifyouarebornonthe:2nd,11th,20th,29th.
Yourfavorabledatesofthemonth:2,7,9,11,16,18,20,25,27,29.
Yourfavorabledaysoftheweek: Sunday,Monday,ThursdayandFriday.
YourmainDeitiesyoushouldalwaysworship:MaParvatiLordShivaand
MaSarasvati.
Yourfavorablecolours:White,Cream,GrapeandGreen.
Yourinauspiciouscolours:Black,SkyblueandDeepRed.
Ifyouarebornonthe:3rd,12th,21st,30th
Yourfavorabledatesofthemonth:3,12,21,30.
Yourfavorabledaysoftheweek:Tuesday,Thursday,FridayandSunday.
YourmainDeityyoushouldalwaysworship:LordVishnu
Yourfavorablecolours:Yellowandlightcolours
Yourinauspiciouscolours:Orange
Ifyouarebornonthe:4th,13th,22nd,31th
Yourfavorabledatesofthemonth:1,4,8,12,14,21,23,30,31.
Yourfavorabledaysoftheweek:Sunday,MondayandSaturday
YourmainDeityyoushouldalwaysworship:LordGanesh.
Your favorable colours: Half shades, Halftones or Electric colours.
Electricbluesandgreys.
Yourinauspiciouscolours:WhiteandLightcolours.
Ifyouarebornonthe:5th,14th,23rd
Yourfavorabledatesofthemonth:3,5,9,12,14,18,21,23,27,30
Yourfavorabledaysoftheweek:Sunday,Wednesday,Thursdayand
Friday.
YourmainDeityyoushouldalwaysworship:ShreeLakshmiNarayana.
Yourfavorablecolours:White,Green,Brightcolours.
Yourinauspiciouscolours:Darkcoloursesp.RedandBlack.
Ifyouarebornonthe:6th,15th,24th
Yourfavorabledatesofthemonth:3,6,12,15,18,21,24,27,30.
Yourfavorabledaysoftheweek:Tuesday,Thursday,FridayandSunday.
YourmainDeitiesyoushouldalwaysworship:MaLakshmiandMaDurga.
Yourfavorablecolours:White,Lightcolours,SkyBlue.
Yourinauspiciouscolours:Black,DarkRedandDarkYellow.
Ifyouarebornonthe:7th,16th,25th
Yourfavorabledatesofthemonth:2,6,7,11,15,16,20,24,25,29.
Yourfavorabledaysoftheweek:Sunday,Monday,TuesdayandThursday.
YourmainDeitiesyoushouldalwaysworship:LordNarasimhaandLord
Shiva.
Yourfavorablecolours:White,Lightshades
Yourinauspiciouscolours:BlackorRed.
Ifyouarebornonthe:8th,17th,26th
Yourfavorabledatesofthemonth:1,4,8,10,13,17,19,22,26,28,31
Yourfavorabledaysoftheweek:Saturday,Sunday,Mondayand
Wednesday.
YourmainDeitiesyoushouldalwaysworship:LordShaniandMaKali.
Yourfavorablecolours:Black,BlueandBrown.
Yourinauspiciouscolours:YelloworLightcolours.
Ifyouarebornonthe:9th,18th,27th
Yourfavorabledatesofthemonth:3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24,29,30
Yourfavorabledaysoftheweek:Sunday,Monday,Tuesday,Thursdayand
Friday.
YourmainDeitiesyoushouldalwaysworship:HanumanjiandLordShiva.
Yourfavorablecolours:Lightcolours,Red,Orange.
Yourinauspiciouscolours:Black,IndigoandDeepGreen.
Thefollowingdatesarethesuggestedlyrecommendeddatestopurchasea
car,signthepapersandperformtheCarprayersfor2015.Fortimesforthe
days below you need to consult with your priest as three times are
consultedforviz.TheRahuKalam,YamaGadamandChowgadiatimes.
BelowaretheShuklaPaksha(bright/waxingphaseofthemoon)Vedicdays
topurchaseanew/usedin2015.Whilemanywebsitesgivesafewdateswe
should be practical in this day in age about when one can purchase a
new/usedin2015.Asfaraspossibletrynottopurchaseanew/usedwhen
it'stheDarkphaseofthemoonwhicharethedatesNOTgivenbelow...But
ofcourseifthisisnotpossiblethenscripturesstatedoingthingsaccording
to deshaakaalaarthatattvajnah according to time, place and
circumstances{SrimadBhagavatam10.11.22}andthisiswhatI'mtrying
torelayinthisarticle.

January: 1st5th,21st31st.
February: 1st3rd,19th28th
March: 1st5th,21st31st.
April: 1st4th,19th;30th.
May: 1st3rd;18th31st.
June: 1st2nd.
AdhikaMaasisfrom(17thJuneto15thJuly).
July: 16th31st.
August: 15th29th.
September: 14th27th
PitrPakshaisfrom(28thSeptember12thOctober).
October: 13th27th.
November: 12th25th.
December: 12th25th.
Ingredientsforthepuja:
1xrectangletray.
2 x small lotas/Chumbu's or if you dont have a lota then use a
glass/tumbler.
1lotawithwaterwithateaspoon.
1lotawithwaterandapinchofHurdiinit.
Fewflowers
3incensesticks
1xsmallblockofChandanwhichismixedwithwaterandmadeintoa
wettishpaste.
1xclaylamp(initeitherhavecastorortiloilandawick)
1xboxmatches
1xblockcamphor
4xsmalllimes
1xpumpkinorcoconut(dependingonwhatyouprefer)
1xflowergarlandaboutanarmslength.
1x100gofuncookedwhiterice.
Disclaimer1: Theinformationprovidedinthisarticleisgiveningood
faith, the compiler of this article (Narottam Das) and our website
www.dipika.org.za takenoresponsibilityifyoudontusediscretionwhile
performingthispuja.
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or organization. WeatDipika choosetoremain anindependentrepository
of spiritual advice. We appreciate that there are variances between
organisations and humbly request that if our views differ from yours that
yourespectourdecisionnottoconformtotheprescriptsofyourparticular
organisation. We remain committed to spiritual advice which is based on
scripture.
Thankyousomuchfortakingthetimetoreadthisarticle.Wepraythat
thisarticlewillassistyouinsomewayandwealsopraythatithelpsyouto
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