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The Sanctum is Full of Positive Vibes

The idol in the sanctum is always said to be very powerful and is manifested with positive and splendid energy. Thus the sanctum is full of positive vibes in it and as the devotees go round the sanctum as pradkshina, the positive energy is also believed to be distributed among them. Once the pooja and homage to the deity is done the devotees follow the custom of going round the temple and they start going around in the left hand direction so that sanctum in which the deity is always to their right. This is an important folklore that is practised in most of the Hindu temples in India.

Parikrama or Pradakshina refers to the circumambulation of sacred places in Hindu, Jain or Buddhist context. Parikrama means "the path surrounding something" in Sanskrit, and is also known as Pradakshina meaning "to the right. Both words are mostly used in the context of religious deities in a temple, sacred rivers, sacred hills and a close cluster of temples.

Parikrama is done around sacred fire (Agni - the fire God), Tulsi plant and Peepal tree. Parikrama of Agni or Agni Pradakshina is a part of the Hindu marriage ceremony. Typically, Parikrama is done after the completion of traditional worship and after paying homage to the deity. Parikrama is supposed to be done with a meditative mood.

Legend

Goddess Parvati and her two sons illustrate the importance of Pradakshina or Parikrama. It is said that the goddess asked her two sons to circumambulate the universe to gain worldly knowledge. While her second son kartikeyan spent decades to go round the world on his peacock, his first son Ganesha walked a full circle around his mother and justified his action by stating that the World was contained within the figure of the mother. This legend justifies the importance that Hindus attach to the practice of Parikrama, and also the importance of motherhood in Hindu psychology.

The minimum number of Pradakshinas to be done in Hinduism is given below:

• Ganesha: 1
• Shiva: 3
• Vishnu: 4
• Ayyappa: 5
• Subrahmanya: 6
• Durga, Devi: 4
• Peepal Tree: 7
• Soorya : 2