Worshipping Mahavatar Babaji, a revered yogic master known for his immortality and his central role in the tradition of Kriya Yoga, can be done with deep devotion and simplicity. While there isn't a traditional temple-based worship for Babaji, you can perform a home-based puja (ritual worship) that emphasizes cleanliness, simplicity, and the use of eco-friendly traditional items.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to worshipping Mahavatar Babaji:
1. Cleanliness and Preparation
- Physical Cleanliness: Before beginning the puja, take a bath to purify your body. Clean the area where you intend to perform the worship.
- Mental Cleanliness: Enter the puja with a calm mind. You may meditate briefly to focus on your intention to connect with Mahavatar Babaji.
- Clean the Puja Space: Use natural cleaning products such as neem water or turmeric mixed in water to clean the puja space, ensuring it is pure and free of any impurities.
2. Time of Worship
- Best Time: Early morning, ideally during Brahma Muhurta (around 4 AM – 6 AM), is considered the most auspicious time to perform spiritual practices, including the worship of Mahavatar Babaji.
- Evening Option: If morning is not possible, perform the puja at sunset. Consistency is more important than the exact time, so choose a time that works for you daily.
3. Attire: Which Color Clothes to Wear
- Wear clean, light-colored clothes, preferably white or yellow. White symbolizes purity, while yellow represents spirituality and devotion.
- Avoid synthetic fabrics and choose eco-friendly materials like cotton, which are more aligned with the principles of simplicity and purity.
4. Puja Items Required (Eco-Friendly)
To honor Mahavatar Babaji, the puja items should reflect simplicity and reverence for nature. Here is a list of traditional, eco-friendly puja items you can use:
- A picture or statue of Mahavatar Babaji (or a small altar dedicated to him)
- Flowers: Choose seasonal, local, and eco-friendly flowers (such as jasmine, lotus, or marigold)
- Fruits: Offer natural, unprocessed fruits like bananas, apples, or coconuts
- Incense sticks made from natural ingredients (sandalwood or herbal-based)
- Ghee lamp: Light a traditional earthen lamp (diya) using pure ghee (clarified butter)
- Camphor: Use natural camphor (kapoor) for aarti (a circular offering of light)
- Water: Keep a copper or brass vessel filled with clean water for offering
- Tulsi (holy basil) leaves: Known for their spiritual and medicinal properties, Tulsi is often offered during Hindu rituals
5. Simple Steps of Puja
- Prepare the Altar: Place a picture or statue of Mahavatar Babaji on a clean altar. Light a ghee lamp and incense sticks.
- Invocation (Dhyaan): Begin by closing your eyes and meditating on Mahavatar Babaji’s image or chanting his name silently to invoke his presence.
- Offer Flowers: Offer eco-friendly flowers at the feet of Babaji’s image, expressing your devotion.
- Offering Water: Sprinkle a few drops of water from the vessel on the image of Babaji as a symbolic purification.
- Offering Fruits and Tulsi Leaves: Place fruits and Tulsi leaves before the image as offerings.
- Chanting Mantras and Prayers: Chant simple mantras or prayers dedicated to Mahavatar Babaji (see section below).
- Aarti: Perform aarti with camphor or the ghee lamp by moving it in a circular motion around Babaji’s image, accompanied by devotional chants or bells.
- Conclude with Meditation: Sit quietly for a few minutes after the aarti, meditating on Babaji’s divine form and guidance.
6. Mantras and Prayers
You can chant these mantras while performing the puja or during meditation:
Mahavatar Babaji Mantra:
- "Om Mahavataraya Vidmahe Yoganandaya Dhimahi Tanno Babaji Prachodayat"
- Translation: "We meditate upon Mahavatar Babaji, the immortal yogi; may he inspire and guide us."
Kriya Yoga Prayer (for those practicing Kriya Yoga):
- "Babaji, yoganathaya, kriya yogaya shuddhaye, nityam namo namah."
- Translation: "Salutations to Babaji, master of yoga, who purifies through Kriya Yoga."
You can also simply chant “Om Babaji Namah” to invoke his presence and protection.
7. Prasad to be Prepared
For the prasad (food offering), prepare simple and sattvic (pure) foods:
- Fruits: Uncut fruits such as bananas, apples, or mangoes
- Kheer (sweet rice pudding made with rice, milk, and jaggery)
- Coconut: Fresh coconut pieces
- Dry Fruits: Almonds, raisins, or cashews
Ensure that the food is prepared in a clean environment with a pure heart and no onions, garlic, or processed ingredients.
8. How to Conclude the Puja
- Final Meditation: After the aarti, sit in silence and meditate for a few moments, visualizing Mahavatar Babaji’s blessings enveloping you.
- Distribute Prasad: Offer a portion of the prasad to all attendees or share it with family and neighbors. Ensure that the offerings are given in eco-friendly containers, such as banana leaves or biodegradable plates.
- Thanksgiving: Close the ritual by folding your hands and expressing gratitude to Mahavatar Babaji for his guidance and blessings.
9. Importance and Benefits of Mahavatar Babaji Puja
- Spiritual Elevation: Worshiping Mahavatar Babaji connects you to higher spiritual realms and enhances your practice of Kriya Yoga.
- Inner Peace: Regular worship brings inner calmness and equanimity, even amidst life’s challenges.
- Guidance and Protection: Mahavatar Babaji is known for guiding sincere spiritual seekers and protecting them on their spiritual journey.
- Health and Well-Being: Through his blessings, devotees may experience physical and mental well-being as they align more closely with nature and the spiritual laws of the universe.
10. What to Do with the Leftover Puja Items (Eco-Friendly)
- Flowers and Organic Offerings: Place flowers and Tulsi leaves in a compost bin or return them to nature by placing them under a tree or in a garden. Avoid throwing them in rivers or water bodies.
- Fruits and Prasad: Distribute fruits and prasad to family, friends, or the needy. If any remains, you can offer it to animals like cows or birds.
- Water: Pour the leftover water from the vessel into a garden or at the base of a plant.
- Incense Ashes: Collect the ashes from the incense sticks and mix them with soil to nourish plants.
By performing this simple, eco-friendly puja, you will be honoring Mahavatar Babaji’s presence while practicing devotion that respects and nurtures the environment. This method of worship combines reverence for the master with a deep awareness of ecological responsibility, a principle that aligns with spiritual purity and sustainability.